"You have performed exceptionally well in this assignment. I am very pleased. I recall that the Ministry of Personnel is short of a Right Assistant Minister. What are your thoughts on this matter, my lord?"
Upon hearing Zhao Ji's words, Nie Shan's heart began to pound uncontrollably.
He had been in his current position for a considerable time. While his seniority was more than sufficient, he had lacked the support of any influential figure for promotion.
Furthermore, he was unwilling to align himself with Prince Yun, nor Cai You or Cai Jing. As for Wang Fu, that was even less of a possibility.
His long-standing grievances with Wang Fu were well-known. Although in politics there were no absolute enemies, Nie Shan himself possessed a certain rough demeanor, making him somewhat out of step with the current literati.
To ask him to grovel and flatter his enemy was out of the question. The Crown Prince's faction had also seen little progress over the years, and the old scholars surrounding the Crown Prince actually viewed him unfavorably. Therefore, he could only maintain neutrality, effectively becoming a neutral party whom no one particularly cared for.
A person like him, whose talents were not particularly outstanding and who remained neutral, would simply languish if the Emperor didn't think of him.
He had initially believed that simply avoiding blame for this assignment would be a good outcome.
However, he had never expected the Emperor to utter such a sentence at the end.
"Your servant is willing to serve Your Majesty unto death!"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Nie Shan directly knelt on one knee and clasped his hands in salute to the Emperor.
"Rise, rise. Why are you performing such a grand gesture all of a sudden? Since you have no objections, then return and prepare yourself. As for Prime Minister Li, I will naturally send someone to inform him!"
Looking at Nie Shan's excited demeanor, Zhao Ji felt quite satisfied.
After all, he had been very troubled by the factional disputes recently.
With the sudden departure of Bai Shizhong, he had racked his brains to balance the powers of various factions.
Although Cai You quickly nominated a Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue to fill Bai Shizhong's vacancy in the Ministry of Personnel, the struggle for the remaining Assistant Minister position and the vacant position of Grand Councilor had intensified, with each side employing increasingly ingenious tactics.
The competition among the factions was reaching a fever pitch, and the more they vied for power, the more agitated Zhao Ji became.
Conveniently, seeing how Nie Shan had handled this matter to his satisfaction, Zhao Ji had a sudden inspiration and set his sights on Nie Shan.
The position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was extremely crucial. Compared to Cai You, Wang Fu, Prince Yun, Cai Jing, or even the Crown Prince, Nie Shan, as a neutral party, was undoubtedly much more suitable.
Of course, under normal circumstances, the nomination for the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel would come from the Prime Minister, who would then propose several candidates for the Emperor to approve.
However, after this incident, Zhao Ji felt fully confident in his ability to manage the new Prime Minister.
"Acknowledged!"
With a heart full of excitement and after clasping his hands in salute to the Emperor, Nie Shan finally took his leave.
"Your Majesty, that young man suffered quite a bit of injustice this time. How does Your Majesty plan to arrange for him?"
After Nie Shan departed, Liang Shicheng asked the Emperor with a smile.
Following a period of observation, his regard for Han Mo had once again ascended to a new level.
Although Han Mo had yet to declare his political stance, judging by his recent actions, his current favor towards Han Mo was gradually surpassing even that of the Crown Prince.
"Speaking of this young man, I am truly a bit undecided. Why not send him to the southeast with Prince Xin to look around?"
After pondering for a moment, Zhao Ji spoke with careful consideration.
"Your Majesty is wise! However, that region is currently in turmoil. To send him there at this time..."
Having navigated the currents of officialdom for so many years, Liang Shicheng naturally understood the rarity of talent. He had already invested so much effort in Han Mo, and he was reluctant for this young man to venture into the southeast at such a perilous juncture.
Others might not understand the underlying dynamics, but he was well aware of them.
Rebellions were generally downplayed by local officials, even concealed.
After all, if such matters were to come to light, beyond other consequences, the mere charge of failing to educate the populace properly would be enough to see them ranked as average or below in their performance reviews by the Ministry of Personnel.
This directly impacted their future careers. Therefore, although Liang Shicheng could not ascertain the exact situation there, it was at least certainly more severe than what was reported on paper.
Han Mo was a civil official. If he were truly sent to the southeast as the Emperor intended, and something unfortunate were to befall him, it would be a tremendous loss.
"Then let him go a little later. He can serve as a counselor under Prince Xin, which would also allow him to gain some experience. After the rebellion is quelled, the matter of the Hangzhou Maritime Trade Office can then be put on the agenda!"
The Tianning Festival was fast approaching, but looking at the account books submitted by the Ministry of Revenue, Zhao Ji was filled with worry and distress.
When the Ministry of Revenue submitted these accounts, Zhao Ji understood that it was Wang Fu's doing.
It was a subtle reminder that the Ministry of Revenue was out of funds, and the Emperor would have to find another way to manage the Tianning Festival.
At this juncture, with the court facing warfare on two fronts, if he, as Emperor, were to proactively raise the matter of the Tianning Festival, how would the officials of the entire court view him?
But the problem was, the Tianning Festival was the Emperor's birthday. If he were to pass it by ingloriously, where would his imperial dignity lie?
Ultimately, it all came down to money. Even ordinary people in such situations would seek ways to reopen revenue streams.
As Emperor, he was no exception. Looking at the proposal Han Mo had written and placed on his desk, his heart was stirred.
After all, the annual revenue of the Great Song Dynasty was only fifty to sixty million strings of coins. After deducting the enormous military expenses and the daily operational costs of the court, the remaining funds were truly meager.
If everything could truly proceed as Han Mo had described, and the Maritime Trade Office alone could generate nearly ten million strings of coins in revenue, would not his dire financial situation be greatly alleviated?
Though he was a decadent ruler, he certainly bore no ill will towards money!
"Your Majesty's considerations are sound. Shall we send someone to subtly remind him?"
"You mean you are worried he..."