Zhao Ding's rise to power was both expected and unexpected.
It was expected because Zhao Ding himself possessed impressive qualifications, official rank, and age. As the eldest of the few who had fled the Imperial Academy during the Jingkang Incident (Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, Hu Yin), Zhao Yuanzhen had been among the first confidants gathered by the Zhao Emperor in the Huai River region. Moreover, he had quickly risen to become the Transport Commissioner of both Huainan circuits, a major regional official, a position second only to the grand councilors.
In fact, considering Lu Yihao's unbridled behavior, Xu Jingheng's sudden honorable retirement, and Li Gang's being lightly shelved by the Emperor, along with potential candidates like Hu Yin, Liu Ziyu, and the Junior Academician Lin being stationed in Guanxi, everyone realized that Zhao Ding of Huainan would undoubtedly secure one of the three chancellorships.
However, it was also unexpected.
Clearly, the Zhao Emperor intended to personally oversee matters, favoring those who had been involved since his ascension, his so-called 'Emperor's confidants.' From this perspective, Zhang Jun's personal relationship with the Emperor was undeniably closer than Zhao Ding's. Therefore, the previous night, many believed that Zhang Jun would become the Chancellor of the Department of State Affairs, with Zhao Ding serving as the Chief Administrator of Military Affairs or even a Deputy Chancellor. But to everyone's surprise, the quiet Zhao Ding, far away in the south, was appointed to the top position.
Of course, for clever individuals like Wan Qixie, even without knowing about Hu Yin's meddling between the two 'Imperial Academy brothers,' they could still surmise that the Emperor needed a Chancellor of the Department of State Affairs who was capable and possessed extensive grassroots experience. Xu Jingheng had been that person previously, and now it was naturally Zhao Ding.
As for Liu Ji, frankly speaking, in the previous abnormal situation, no one could be certain whether he was truly a capable official or not. Besides, in terms of relationship, this Chancellor Liu was, after all, a bit more distant from the Emperor. In comparison, Zhao Ding, who had caught the Emperor's eye for settling refugees from Huaibei in Huainan and had diligently ensured financial supplies for several years, seemed much more reliable.
This matter, to put it nicely, showed the Zhao Emperor prioritizing public affairs and appointing people based on merit. To put it bluntly, it revealed the Zhao Emperor's inexperience and his sense of insecurity.
Of course, it was ultimately a good thing. Would it be a bad thing if the leader didn't recklessly use his confidants?
"Who is the head of the Goryeo delegation?"
There was no military parade or any grand ceremony this time. The last contingent of the Imperial Guard simply stopped at Yuetai in the west of the city. Zhao Jiu merely led the Imperial Guard personal troops into the city. After entering, without even resting in the inner palace, the Emperor gathered his officials at the Wende Hall to inquire about recent events in the capital.
Lu Haowen, already advanced in years and known for his calm demeanor, seemed even more composed after being appointed Grand Councilor, whether it was genuine or an act. He stood solemnly, saying nothing.
Soon, seeing Grand Councilor Lu Haowen, the newly appointed Chief Administrator of Military Affairs Zhang Jun, and the Associate Chief Administrator of Military Affairs Chen Gui remain silent, the Minister of Rites Zhu Shengfei stepped forward and cupped his hands in a respectful greeting. "Your Majesty, the envoy is named Jeong Chi-sang, a Hanlin Academician known for his literary talent in Goryeo. Does Your Majesty wish to grant him an audience? When should it be held?"
"Not Kim Bu-sik?" Zhao Jiu frowned slightly from his throne. "Does this man belong to the Gaegyeong or Pyongyang faction in Goryeo? Is he pro-Jin or pro-war?"
Zhu Shengfei was momentarily speechless, then bowed after a moment's silence. "Your Majesty, this man has always been attended to by Wang Lun, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. As for the Gaegyeong and Pyongyang factions, this minister truly does not know. However, after Your Majesty's great victory, he hastily sailed across the sea and even wrote poems praising Your Majesty's divine might, and his poems are indeed excellent. I believe he is pro-war against Jin."
This answer was clearly flawed, but as Minister of Rites, understanding this much was already satisfactory, so Zhao Jiu did not press further. Instead, he nodded and directly called out from his throne, "Where is Wang Lun?"
Wang Lun, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, who was already prepared, immediately stepped forward and replied promptly, "Your Majesty, this man belongs to the Seogyeong faction, a party of Monk Myocheong, always pro-war. He is a genuine ally of Monk Myocheong in the Goryeo court and one of Kim Bu-sik's biggest political rivals right now..."
Here, Wang Lun paused slightly, then cautiously added, "This man and Kim Bu-sik are not just political rivals but also literary opponents in the Goryeo literary world, with both public and private grievances."
"Still, something doesn't seem right," Zhao Jiu frowned even deeper. "Last time, you said that Kim Bu-sik was eager to serve the great powers, siding with Song when Song was strong and Jin when Jin was strong, always observing and adjusting promptly. On the contrary, the Seogyeong faction of Monk Myocheong was confused, intending to expand the power of the Seogyeong and Pyongyang factions by attacking Jin, so they were pro-war against Jin. If this Jeong Chi-sang is a member of Monk Myocheong's faction, why is he also here to 'serve the great power'?"
"Your Majesty," Wang Lun quickly explained. "Jeong Chi-sang is a proper civil official, and his alliance with Monk Myocheong is because they are both based in Seogyeong Pyongyang in Goryeo and opposed to the Gaegyeong faction. It's impossible for them not to be in the same faction, but their specific views are still different..."
At this point, not only did Zhao Jiu understand, but even the Song officials in the hall, who had experienced decades of factional strife, suddenly realized.
"I understand," Zhao Jiu suddenly smiled. "This is a person who has been embroiled in pro-war sentiment due to political struggle, and he is only pro-war because Kim Bu-sik is not. But if so, wouldn't this person, who is both eager to serve the great power and pro-war, be more beneficial to us than Kim Bu-sik?"
Wang Lun hesitated, then cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, this person and Kim Bu-sik have a certain reputation in Goryeo..."
Zhao Jiu smiled even more, "Tell me, what reputation?"
"It is said that Kim Bu-sik took this name because he admired the great scholar Su Shi, but his official conduct is very similar to Prince Shu, while Jeong Chi-sang, who is constantly at odds with him, is not like Sima Guang but more like the great scholar Su Shi..."
Zhao Jiu laughed for the third time, "Are you saying that this person is politically useless, and it may not be worthwhile to focus on him?"
"The key is that we can't really exert much influence in Goryeo's internal affairs at this time..." Seeing many ministers around him looking sideways, Wang Lun quickly skipped the topic.
"How can we truly exert influence?" Zhao Jiu continued to press.
"If the land of Qilu can be recovered and sea routes are open, we can do something," Wang Lun frankly replied.
Zhao Jiu nodded and made a decision, "No matter what, we still need to do something. We should also invest some effort in Goryeo, as it is currently the only country behind the Jin that we can contact, and it is a large country thousands of miles away. As for this person, I have a different opinion from Vice Minister Wang. I believe that since this person has such a relationship with Kim Bu-sik, focusing on him is no different from focusing on Kim Bu-sik. In other words, even if they disappear in confusion in the future, the effort we put in can be recouped through Kim Bu-sik..."
Many in the hall nodded in agreement. These people may not be as knowledgeable about Goryeo's internal affairs as Wang Lun, but they were much stronger than Wang Lun in these political tactics. At the same time, many still frowned.
"Minister of Rites Zhu Shengfei, Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial Zhai Ruwen, Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial Wang Lun," Zhao Jiu said sternly. "You must treat this Goryeo's Su Shi well, with super-rank treatment. You, the dignified ministers of a great country, should accompany him in composing poetry and drinking wine, making him feel at home. Then, tell him clearly that I despise Kim Bu-sik but like Jeong Chi-sang's poems, and prepare extra rewards. Finally, prepare a formal banquet, and I will personally summon him and reward him... Don't be stingy with money, and don't feel like you're losing face. Anything that can make the Jin die a few more or stall one or two of their Meng'an when we finally launch the Northern Expedition is worth more than ten thousand gold pieces, and we can get all the money back when we truly conquer Huanglong!"
Everyone had different expressions upon hearing his words.
Some nodded repeatedly, some were thoughtful, some showed no change in expression, and others frowned repeatedly.
The Goryeo issue was of course important because, as the Zhao Emperor said, Goryeo was the only large country thousands of miles away that the Great Song could currently contact and that could tangibly restrain the Jin in the foreseeable future.
After six or seven years of war, everyone understood that anything involving the Jin was worthwhile.
But the problem was that the Zhao Emperor's blatant 'deception' and 'use' of the Goryeo envoy, as well as his words about 'getting it back' in the future, just didn't sound right.
Especially at this moment, with civil and military officials all solemnly present in the Wende Hall.
Therefore, many moral gentlemen couldn't help but worry and feel uncomfortable.
In the past, these people would have already come forward to advise the Emperor, because they were truly moral gentlemen and genuinely felt it was inappropriate, and they were not afraid of the Emperor's wrath. But the problem was that when they thought about the Taishang Daoist Emperor, who was so prosperous and respectable, abandoning the country twice and ending up as the Duke of Hunde, while the current Emperor, who was full of self-interest and not at all respectable, was the one who had truly restored the Huang Song, they couldn't bring themselves to speak up and follow the usual practice.
If they came out to advise, the Emperor would directly bring up the Taishang Daoist Emperor, and they would feel terrible.
Therefore, although officials like the Censor-in-Chief Li Guang and the Minister of Rites Zhu Shengfei felt uncomfortable, they had to endure it. Zhu Shengfei even had to step forward to receive the decree and do such an undignified thing.
"Alright," Zhao Jiu said, finishing the matter of the Goryeo envoy, and without pausing, he asked about another major issue. "What exactly happened when Nianhan arrived at Daming Prefecture?"
This time, the many figures in the hall looked at each other, but they all shook their heads, and no one could answer.
After waiting for a long time, Chen Gui, bearing the responsibility of his office, reluctantly came out and said a few words, "Your Majesty, we are truly unaware of the real situation there and can only make a rough guess..."
"Guessing is fine," Zhao Jiu smiled. "Such a major event, we can't just leave it hanging without even a guess, can we?"
"We discussed," Chen Gui said with a slightly more serious expression. "After Nianhan's defeat at the Battle of Yaoshan, his sudden arrival at Daming Prefecture was not to deal with Tokyo, but to control the troops of Daming Prefecture to deal with Yanjing, to deal with the Jin Emperor Wugumai and the Great Crown Prince Wanyan Wuben in the north."
Zhao Jiu nodded, which was also the conclusion reached by the civil and military officials in Guanxi.
It should be known that although the Jin army suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Yaoshan, because Wanyan Wushu's reinforcements were annihilated, Nianhan's Western Route Army did not necessarily suffer more losses than the Eastern Route Army. But the problem was that, from the highest level, Nianhan, as the State Chancellor, was the top leader responsible for the defeat.
His defeat in this battle and Lou Shi's death led to a large-scale loss of Nianhan's political prestige, which was the most critical difficulty for the Jin's powerful minister right now, especially after he had staged a coup attempt... After Lou Shi's defeat, some things were no longer secrets. The Zhao Song court had long learned the whole story from Goryeo envoys and Han Chinese officials who had fled from Hebei.
In other words, after this battle, Wanyan Nianhan had lost face in the political game on the table and had to continue to maintain his authority by seizing military power, a very effective method, but one that was particularly undignified and even seemed to be a desperate move.
To be fair, Nianhan's sudden southward descent to Daming Prefecture, suppressing the cowardly Talha and seizing military power, was indeed a brilliant move from a domestic perspective, even a stroke of genius. But from a foreign perspective, it undoubtedly exposed the internal contradictions of the Jin.
"If so, let's test the waters... or stir up trouble!" After a brief discussion, the ministers shared similar views, and Zhao Jiu, after a moment's thought, immediately made a decision. "Let Zhang Rong take the old Yellow River route and send the proclamation directly to Daming Prefecture, questioning Nianhan! Demand that he quickly return the previously detained envoy (Han Xiaozhou) and order him to surrender within a time limit! Otherwise, I will turn Daming Prefecture into a second Yaoshan!"
Many people hesitated for a moment.
"It's just stirring up trouble..." Zhao Jiu quickly explained. "Just provoking him, the biggest hope is to add fuel to the fire of the Jin's internal situation, not to actually send troops."
Only then did Chen Gui and others feel relieved.
After all, they couldn't help but panic. Since ancient times, there have been many emperors who became arrogant after winning a battle, and some immediately lost their lives and their countries!
Of course, Zhao Jiu also realized this and said a few more words, "You don't need to worry. Although Yaoshan was a victory, it was extremely dangerous. After this battle, not only do I not underestimate the enemy, but I am also a little scared. Liu Ziyu, who advised me to stand firm before the battle, has been rewarded and given military merit, and being transferred to become a Regional Pacification Commissioner is already my intention... And I can say it again today, after experiencing this battle, I really can't imagine how our troops can face the Jin cavalry on the plains of Hebei. We must recuperate and consolidate our strength step by step to exterminate the Jin."
Only then did everyone in the hall feel completely relieved.
Zhao Jiu, after all, had traveled a long distance and had just returned, so after asking two urgent questions, he also asked about the progress of the institutionalization of the Three-Hall Examination System and instructed the ministers a few words before finally announcing the end of this 'welcoming ceremony'.
However, after everyone dispersed, Grand Councilor Lu Haowen, who had not participated in the discussion of affairs at all, was separately invited to the inner palace by Grand Commander Lan Gui.
The ministers did not say anything about this... After all, he was the Grand Councilor, with a transcendent status, and it was not a sensitive period. The positions of the top ministers had already been assigned, and there were no historical precedents to use as excuses.
It was nothing more than the Emperor wanting to express his favor to the old and important ministers, a routine inquiry.
As expected, after everyone dispersed, Zhao Jiu waited in a small pavilion in the inner palace. When he met Lu Haowen, he directly rose to greet him and asked directly outside the pavilion, "Grand Councilor Lu, why do I always feel that the atmosphere in the hall today was not right?"
"Your Majesty, this old minister believes that there are many reasons."
In the crisp autumn air, Lu Haowen's gaze shifted from the yellow flowers around the pavilion and then slightly raised his head, seeing a line of wild geese flying south overhead. The current Grand Councilor pondered carefully and unexpectedly did not give a perfunctory answer. "First, Your Majesty won a great victory at Yaoshan, shooting eagles and returning, shaking the empire. The civil and military officials are in awe. Although this matter has passed for several months and Your Majesty has long adapted to it in Guanxi, this is the first time the civil and military officials in Tokyo have met with Your Majesty after the battle, so they can't help but feel nervous..."
Even though Zhao Jiu knew he shouldn't be carried away, he couldn't help but smile slightly before nodding.
"Second, Your Majesty's intention to greatly change the top ministers and reform the political situation is already clear. Those above and below do not know Your Majesty's intentions, so they can't help but be cautious and wait and see," Lu Haowen said slowly, cupping his hands.
Zhao Jiu was thoughtful, and his smile faded somewhat.
"Third," Lu Haowen sighed slightly. "Your Majesty should not have publicly analyzed the matter of the Goryeo envoy and Nianhan with 'interests' in the court today... It was undignified."
Zhao Jiu finally frowned, "I certainly know that these matters are a bit too focused on interests, but they concern the enemy and ourselves. Dealing with them with military strategies and using deception is not wrong, is it?"
"This minister did not say that Your Majesty's handling of these two matters was wrong," Lu Haowen still said calmly. "But since they concern the enemy and ourselves, why couldn't you summon the top ministers, the Privy Council, and the generals of the Imperial Guard to discuss them separately? Your Majesty, the Jin are cruel and barbaric, and everyone in the empire knows this. In this extraordinary time, we don't expect Your Majesty to be a perfect sage, but even a mounted emperor, heavier than Mount Tai, still needs to be outwardly a sage and inwardly a king... And today, all the civil and military officials were present, and they were all ranked in the Wende Hall!"
Zhao Jiu fell silent, and Lu Haowen stood silently with his hands folded. Lan Gui had already started counting his heartbeats, but after counting to about a hundred, the Zhao Emperor finally spoke, "Grand Councilor Lu is absolutely right, I was too hasty!"
Lu Haowen's face was calm, but Lan Gui clearly breathed a sigh of relief first.
"Does Your Majesty have anything else?" Lu Haowen asked after nodding.
Zhao Jiu hesitated and admitted frankly, "I originally wanted to talk to Grand Councilor Lu about some old matters, but as Grand Councilor Lu reminded me, I was too hasty. We'll talk about it in a couple of days..."
Lu Haowen finally smiled, took two steps back, and cupped his hands in a salute, "Your Majesty has worked hard to stabilize the country, and you have been away for half a year. You should rest earlier."
Zhao Jiu didn't say more but directly sent him out of the inner palace and had Lan Gui follow him before turning back, only to see Feng Yi had come to wait behind him early.
"The Concubine Pan sent you here?" Zhao Jiu asked.
"Yes," Feng Yi replied submissively.
"Then the many chrysanthemums beside the pavilion were also arranged by the Concubine Pan?" Zhao Jiu continued to ask.
"Lady Pan ordered them to be placed," Feng Yi replied immediately. "But no public funds were used. They were sent by the wealthy households who returned from Yangzhou and the female relatives of the dignitaries... They came to the palace to visit Lady Pan and saw that this place was dilapidated, so they voluntarily pooled money and sent many flowers and furniture into the palace."
Zhao Jiu nodded, "I will go see Concubine Pan now. I will be with her from now until tomorrow, but before I come out to work tomorrow, you must return all these things that were sent back. If anyone dares to refuse, you personally carry them to his home... Do you understand?"
Feng Yi was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly.
"By the way," Zhao Jiu turned and took a few steps, then turned back again. "Don't touch the furnishings in Concubine Pan's room... You might as well find the Wu Concubine's family for some money and give it to those people as a price! Tell the State Duke Wu that I won't take his money for nothing. His family's self-brewed 'Blue Bridge Wind and Moon' will be the national wine from now on. Starting with the reception of the Goryeo envoy, I will use his family's wine exclusively."
Feng Yi was stunned again and took a long time to understand before nodding, but the Zhao Emperor had already walked away with his hands behind his back.
ps: 'Blue Bridge Wind and Moon' was indeed the brand of wine from Wu Yu's family in history... The Song Dynasty's monopoly on wine was in the monopoly of wine yeast. Anyone could theoretically brew their own wine after buying wine yeast. The self-brewing of wine by dignitaries and the formation of brands was a strong proof of the developed commodity economy at that time... The custom was most prevalent during the Huizong period, and there were the most brands of wine, but basically, they were destroyed in the Jingkang Incident. After the Southern Song Dynasty, it was rare, but 'Blue Bridge Wind and Moon' still appeared, which shows the wealth and power of the 'Pearl Wu' family.