Chapter 18 (2) of Chapter 10
This Mr. Nan was named Nan Shi Ba, and his surname Nan was already quite rare, but his given name was even more unusual. In the Hu people's culture, it wasn't uncommon to use numbers as names, but for a Han person to have such a name was somewhat astonishing. Yang Gan had asked about Mr. Nan's background several times, but each time he would evade the question. Normally, someone with an unknown background like this wouldn't be allowed near Yang Gan, but fate brought them together one day when Yang Gan attended a banquet and then strolled through the market on his way back to his mansion. He happened upon Mr. Nan selling paintings on the street. As it turned out, Yang Gan was quite knowledgeable about art and had an eye for talent. Although the composition of the paintings was somewhat rough, they showed a bold and free-spirited style that hinted at greatness. Yang Gan's eyes lit up as he asked who the artist was, and to his surprise, it was Mr. Nan himself. After chatting with him for a bit, Yang Gan found that Mr. Nan had unique insights and perspectives on art. Meeting someone like this naturally piqued Yang Gan's interest, and seeing that Mr. Nan was dressed in tattered clothes, he invited him back to the mansion for further discussion. Mr. Nan agreed readily, without even asking about Yang Gan's identity, and followed him back to the mansion, where he ended up staying from then on.
Yang Gan, as the chief assistant of the current dynasty, naturally had many advisors and staff members in his entourage. Although it was said that Nan Shi's artistic talent was rare, Yang Gan didn't think much of it at first, thinking only to support a painter. After all, talented people are always welcome, aren't they? However, as time passed, he realized that he had underestimated this person. This person was mediocre in terms of overall strategy, but far surpassed Yang Gan in many ways. This was nothing unusual, for who is born with innate knowledge? Yang Gan was born into a noble family and had been exposed to the world from a young age, so his perspective was naturally different from that of ordinary people. However, Mr. Nan often managed to grasp the essence of things, cutting through complexity and getting straight to the point, with insights that were uniquely his own, leaving Yang Gan in awe. Only then did he realize that this person had a wealth of knowledge and experience, like a vast landscape unfolding before him. Over the years, although Mr. Nan's background was shrouded in mystery, this didn't seem to matter, for in today's world, with various countries vying for power and people displaced from their homes, it was not uncommon for people's backgrounds to be unclear. Moreover, Mr. Nan was indeed a rare talent, and after observing him for many years, Yang Gan found that he was proud and straightforward, never beating around the bush or forming cliques with others in the imperial court. Such a person would hardly be a spy sent by another country. Therefore, Yang Gan gradually came to rely on him more and more, often seeking his counsel on important matters, and had already begun to regard him as a trusted advisor. As such, he didn't mind Mr. Nan's occasional slight lapses in etiquette, considering them to be the natural behavior of a talented individual. With his own stature as a prime minister, he wouldn't bother with such trivialities.
The residence of Nan Shi was in the back garden of Xiangfu, although it was only a delicate separate house, but the back garden of Xiangfu was not a place where ordinary people could come, which shows how much Yang Gan valued his trust.
Inside the house were just the two of them; after the two maidservants had served tea and snacks, they quietly withdrew.
Two people, although their status is vastly different, are both bookworms who have read extensively and adhere to the Confucian doctrine of being gentle as water in interpersonal relationships and not forming cliques. As a result, they cannot bring themselves to utter flattering words, and an awkward silence falls over the room.
It was a long time before Nan Shi finally spoke up in a calm tone: "Master Dong is not on official business, yet he has come here; could it be that there's something on his mind?"
Yang couldn't help but smile and replied evasively: "It's been three years since you came to the Prime Minister's residence, are you still getting used to living here?"
"In the blink of an eye, a hint of mockery flashed in Nan's eyes. 'Nan, a rootless and unrefined man with mediocre talent, has received such gracious treatment from the Prime Minister - what more is there to complain about?'"
"Mr. Nan is being too modest, with your talent, it's a waste to just be an aide in the government office... I was thinking that after you've been in the government office for some time, you'll get to know some officials and then go on to become an official yourself, or take the imperial examination route, with your ability, it won't take long before you can fully display your talents."
But... Mr. should also know, nowadays...
Yang Gan's tone became even heavier, his face gradually becoming solemn. Having held a high position for a long time, he exuded an air of authority as soon as he became serious, his eyes gleaming sharply like knives. Even Nan Shi, who was used to being reckless and uninhibited, felt somewhat ill at ease in front of him, shifting his body slightly.
But Yang felt that he didn't even glance at him, and continued to say: "These days, Mr. should have heard that the Golden State and Western Xia are bordering, my dynasty and the Golden State are sworn enemies, it's not a big deal, but Western Xia and my dynasty have been repairing for many years, now that the war has started, there is no danger in the northwest... The western thief is really hateful..."
He paused for a moment, knowing that his words had gone a bit far, and changed the subject: "These are all external matters. The power of Western Xia is gradually weakening, although this border affair is urgent, but it should be nothing."
His Majesty the Emperor is getting older nowadays...
Nan eighteen heard this, also rose in his heart a few frightened thoughts. He was an intelligent person who knew what would happen next and had been Yang Gan's aide for several years, gradually becoming familiar with the affairs of the Western Qin court. The current Emperor Li Ye, who ascended to the throne at the age of 31, has now reigned for 26 years. Undoubtedly, the current emperor is a wise and enlightened ruler. Although he has been at war with the Jin Dynasty for many years, the taxes imposed on the people have remained low, which in itself is a rare virtuous policy.
In addition, the Zhengde Emperor was a generous and calm person by nature, so although there were no great achievements during his reign that could be praised by others, under his rule, the national treasury grew daily, and the population reached an all-time high, making him a capable ruler.
But time is unforgiving, and the current Zhengde Emperor is now fifty-seven years old, with much less energy than before. As a result, people in court and out of court have begun to worry about who will succeed him in the future.
The Crown Prince was born to the Empress, and when the current Emperor ascended to the throne, he immediately appointed him as the Crown Prince. Firstly, it was because the Crown Prince Li Xuanji was born to the Empress. Secondly, the Empress came from the Xiqin's Zhongyuan family in the west, and the Zhongyuan family had been guarding the northwest border of Xiqin for generations, with great influence in the northwest army. Even when their ancestor Zhong Si Mou served as the General-in-Chief of the Western Troops, the Western Xia people referred to the Northwest Army as the "Zhong Family Army", and its prestige can be imagined.
But the Xong family had already declined at the beginning of Emperor Li Cong's reign. This has to be said about the expedition against Xia by Emperor Zhao Wu, and the commander-in-chief who attacked Xia was Xong Chū, the current head of the Xong family. After a major defeat, nine out of ten men in the Xong family were gone, and Xong Chū himself was surrounded and killed in battle, beheading himself in front of his army. Since then, the decline of the Xong family has become inevitable.
Although the Zhong family had declined, the Zhong family and another prominent family in Western Qin, the Zhe family, had been on good terms for generations. Compared to the Yang family, they were far more influential. The Zhe family was of mixed Han and Hu blood and had resided in the northwest since the end of the Jin dynasty. They produced many famous generals throughout history, and their foundation in the Western Qin military was unmatched. When Emperor Li ascended to the throne, there was a struggle for power between him and King Qing. Although King Qing was favored by Emperor Li's father, Li Congyi, it was ultimately Emperor Li who took the throne due to his secret alliance with the Zhe family through the Zhong family. When Li Congyi fell ill, the capital was already in turmoil. The three sons of the Zhe family led a group of imperial guards into the city and quickly seized control. King Qing surrendered, and Li Congyi reluctantly abdicated in favor of Emperor Li.
With the support of the two families, although it's not a good thing from a historical perspective, the military group like the two families in the northwest is almost self-sufficient, like the border town governors during the Tang Dynasty, with the possibility of breaking away from control at any time. The knowledgeable scholars in the court were also very dissatisfied with this, but still helped Li Ye ascend to the throne at the fastest speed. After that, Emperor Zhengde established a crown prince and appeased the two families. In the more than 20 years that followed, this emperor who rose to power through military coup showed his extraordinary governing ability, gradually controlling the three imperial guards, the palace guard, and the imperial escort in his own hands. He also used Yang's hand to begin weakening the power of the two families in the military, but the situation in Western Qin was complex, with many wars, and the military system was largely based on the Tang Dynasty system, emphasizing external strength while being weak internally. Even if Emperor Zhengde had been capable, there wouldn't have been a better solution.
But he made the fifth prince Li Xuandao garrison Tongguan, and further weakened the influence of the Zhong and Zuo families in the military, which made the current crown prince's situation very embarrassing. The imperial family has no father-son relationship, although Emperor Zhengde was still fair to several sons, but this approach is seen by people with ulterior motives as another matter. Even if the Crown Prince may not have any other thoughts in his heart, the other princes saw that the Crown Prince's position was not solid, and their minds were also active. The fifth prince Li Xuandao led the army outside for many years and had a bad relationship with the crown prince. In the twenty-first year of Zhengde, when the Jurchen people invaded the border, Li Xuandao happened to return to Beijing to report on his duties and celebrate his mother's birthday. Wang Qingze, the deputy commander of Tongguan's military affairs, ordered Zhang Rong and Duan Qihu, two trusted generals under Li Xuandao, to go out of the pass to investigate the enemy situation. After the two were surrounded, they sat back and did not rescue them, causing both to die in battle outside the pass. Then he sent three camps of soldiers out of the pass for a night raid, but the Jurchen people were already prepared, and again suffered heavy losses and returned. The fifth prince's direct subordinates were the inner three camps of soldiers, but he had no right to mobilize them. He took the military situation as an excuse and wanted the inner three camps of soldiers to be under his command. As a result, the military was in a state of turmoil, and both inside and outside Tongguan were on high alert, almost causing a mutiny. With the danger of Tongguan, the Jurchen people climbed to the top of the pass several times, and it was only with great difficulty that they were barely repelled. Tongguan immediately sounded the alarm.
Li Xuandao rushed back to Tongguan overnight after hearing the news, and obtained an imperial edict from Emperor Zhengde. After returning to the pass, he immediately had Wang Qingze arrested and sent back to the capital. Wang Qingze was the wife's brother of the current Crown Prince, and it would be hard for anyone to believe that the Crown Prince was not involved in this matter.
After returning to Beijing, Wang Qingze was almost not tried by the authorities and was directly sentenced to death for crimes such as commanding a defeat, intentionally framing his colleagues, and nearly losing control of Tongguan Pass. The Crown Prince's faction collectively lost their voices and did not utter a word in defense of Wang Qingze, making those with ulterior motives feel that this matter had some clumsiness left over, and they couldn't help but feel a chill for Wang Qingze. Later, it was vaguely heard that the Emperor was enraged, and this military power struggle ended with Wang Qingze's beheading under the Emperor's personal suppression.
Li Xuan's move was unexpected this time, and he lost his beloved general. The resentment in his heart can be imagined.
Less than two years, Li Xuandao impeached the Ministry of War for deducting military rations and armaments from the garrison at Tongguan Pass, resulting in the garrison having less than three months' worth of rations. The soldiers were thinly clad, and the horses were weak and emaciated due to insufficient fodder, making them unfit for battle. Although the language was somewhat exaggerated, the crime of deducting military supplies was not light. The provision of military rations should have been the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue, but due to the frequent battles in western Qin and eastern Gansu, and for the sake of speed and familiarity, the garrison's rations had always been allocated by the Ministry of Revenue to the Ministry of War for timely supply.
He was the maternal uncle of the Crown Prince and a key figure in the imperial family. Due to Li Xuan's right to memorialize the emperor directly, even the Crown Prince did not know about this matter beforehand. The incident occurred suddenly, and there was no time to consult with others. This person was also straightforward, and when questioned by the emperor, he listed the disadvantages of the separatist regimes at the end of the Tang Dynasty and the excessive power of border town generals. He suggested that the emperor control the border towns with food, grass, and military equipment. He did speak to the emperor's mind, but this idea was only something the emperor thought about in his heart and had never spoken out loud. Why? In today's chaotic world, it is not an exaggeration to say that what is needed are soldiers, generals, and troops. The Western Xia and Jurchen-led Jin Dynasty are major threats to the Western Qin. If one is slightly negligent, a hundred years of foundation can be reduced to ashes in an instant. Controlling the border generals? Even if it were really done, it would absolutely not be possible to speak so clearly about it.
It's not that he didn't know the reason, but this matter had already started more than a year ago. Li Xuanji had been enduring it silently, and his heart was also put to rest. This time, being caught off guard, with the pressure from the officials on the side who were all part of Li Xuanji's faction, he couldn't even say the excuses he had thought of beforehand, and his mind went completely blank, which is why he said something so stupid.
After that, things became simple. The general's words offended all the leaders and even the people of the Zhong family were dissatisfied. Who would believe that someone in his position would say such things on impulse? Everyone thought that the crown prince was trying to please the emperor by giving orders. At this time, not only was the crown prince in an awkward situation, but also none of the officials from the crown prince's faction dared to speak out at this moment. One month later, Zhong Cong was removed from his position as Shangshu and demoted to Lingnan. From then on, the struggle for the throne began in earnest. This was no longer just a matter of whether the crown prince or the fifth prince had any intention of doing so. After these events, whoever ascended to the throne would surely bring about the downfall of the other.
Having thought of these, Nan eighteen's heart was chilled. He is arrogant and reckless, but to say that he and An Nai are different from Li Bai, who cannot afford to be proud, they will not make the current eunuchs take off their boots, and the imperial concubine will pour wine on them. With his experience and knowledge, how can he not understand the danger of today's conversation? This current prime minister is here to ask for his advice, saying that asking for advice may be a bit too much, but it is estimated that Yang Guan has some doubts in his heart and wants others to help him make up his mind.
But this matter is of great importance, and it's not something that can be shared with an unrelated outsider. If he were to hear about it and spread the word, then he would truly become one of Yang's trusted confidants. However, a series of troublesome events would ensue, including the struggle for the throne within the royal family, which would involve cruel and bloody battles no less intense than those on the battlefield. Winning would bring glory for a time, but losing would mean total defeat, and he still had many unfinished matters to attend to. He really didn't want to get mixed up in this kind of thing, but what choice did he have? Ha! Nan Shi's heart was filled with bitter laughter - could he really afford not to listen?
