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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 267 Wuji
Changsun Wuji's elder brother, Zhangsun Anyie, had already been sentenced to exile in the southern frontier due to the palace coup. As a result, the family legacy naturally fell into Changsun Wuji's hands. After all, Changsun Wuji was the son of Changsun Sheng's first wife, who had passed away, and he was married to Consort Qin, making him the rightful heir to the family business after the elder brother's demise.
The original Changsun Family had begun to decline after Changsun Sheng's death. Zhangsun Anyie was utterly incompetent; he had driven his younger siblings out of the house after their father's death and dared to participate in the palace coup.
Now that Changsun Wuji had become the family's representative in court, it indeed elevated the family's status in Guanlong significantly. He was the brother-in-law of Qin Wang, and within the court, Duke of Wei and Qin Wang were regarded as the pillars of the dynasty.
Duke of Wei Li Jing had always distanced himself from relatives and old friends. After returning from battle, even those who had fought alongside him would find it difficult to gain entry into the Duke's residence, let alone maintain regular contact.
After this return from battle, Qin Wang had also adopted a much more cautious and low-profile approach. However, considering his wife's position, he would undoubtedly support Changsun Wuji.
Thus, Changsun Wuji took the initiative to seek benefits for Guanlong. Without such backing, any achievements would merely serve others' interests.
"Your Majesty, I support the words of the Chief Justice," one minister stated.
"Your Majesty, we also believe this statement is reasonable. Those officials were dismissed as part of the court's efforts to streamline government offices; it was not due to their faults."
The courtiers expressed their support one after another. Although Guanlong accounted for a significant proportion of those dismissed, there were also officials from Shandong and Jiangnan among them.
Li Jian Cheng spoke up: "The dismissal of redundant officials was overseen by Fang Aiqing and Du Aiqing. While these officials may not have committed grave offenses, they certainly had reasons for their dismissal. These officials have received Your Majesty's Imperial Favor and will undoubtedly serve loyally in Liaodong."
Changsun Wuji felt a sense of regret but immediately expressed, "Your Majesty is wise."
It would be awkward to have the entire court of Civil and Military officials supporting something, with only the Emperor firmly opposed.
Now, opposing not only offends political enemies but also risks alienating one's own people.
Recently, His Majesty Enke promoted over two hundred officials, and there are still more than a thousand remaining. Even if only one in ten is selected, it can bring over a hundred carefully chosen officials to the court.
If that happens, either a new emperor will soon take the throne, or the court will undoubtedly face a wave of purges.
At the beginning of next year, the court will hold the Imperial Examination in Luoyang to select scholars and the Martial Examination in Chang'an to recruit generals. Even people from the Outer Domain can participate. I will treat everyone equally and appoint them to official positions, entrusting them with important responsibilities."
The expressions of others, especially those from noble families, changed slightly. Although they had confidence in their own children, they knew that over time, their status would inevitably suffer significant blows.
Whether due to improper origins of their official positions, lack of achievements during their terms, personal moral failings, or past private matters…
However, some still voiced opposition, though their tone was not firm. These were the Emperor's confidants; their dissent was merely to provide an avenue for both the Emperor and the courtiers.
I opened Enke to give truly talented individuals an opportunity; now it is no longer appropriate to grant favors indiscriminately.
If diligent study could lead one to enter government through the Imperial Examination, with good fortune, two or three generations could establish a family tradition of learning and accumulate educational resources for future descendants.
Even if one or two generations fail to succeed in the Imperial Examination, descendants can still uphold family values through education and wait for another exceptionally gifted child to emerge from the family.
This is unlike before when no matter how well one studied, they had to rely on noble families to have a chance at entering government service.
But what could they do? Rebel?
Emperor Qin Wei Guo Gong was in court, while Hejian Wang Yingguo Gong was outside, and there were countless capable generals and hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Department of Military Affairs across various regions.
Resign and return to the countryside?
If everyone could unite and advance or retreat together, they could indeed pressure the emperor. After all, no matter how many brave and formidable military leaders there were, they could never govern the territories with these reckless men.
The destruction they could cause would far exceed that of corrupt officials.
But the problem is, they would never be able to unite. The high-ranking officials in the court would always be those few, who wouldn't want to benefit their own people?
If one side withdrew, the remaining forces would definitely not follow suit; instead, they would choose to immediately flatter His Majesty, quickly swallowing up the vacant positions and draining all their interests both in court and outside.
After the court session, many officials greeted Changsun Wuji, subtly expressing their gratitude and trying to curry favor. If something were to happen, this little favor wouldn't carry much weight at all.
After exchanging pleasantries with them, Changsun Wuji walked over to his Uncle Gao Shilian's side.
"Uncle."
Gao Shilian said quietly as he walked, "Wuji, you are still a bit reckless. How could His Majesty possibly issue an edict to select officials from those who have been dismissed? Wouldn't that imply that the decision to cut down on redundant officials was wrong?"
Changsun Wuji replied, "Someone might still suggest giving it a try; after all, it’s just a matter of convenience."
"You are not afraid of provoking His Majesty's displeasure?"
"The nobles in the court privately believe that His Majesty is narrow-minded, but my nephew knows that His Majesty is magnanimous and forgiving. Even if there are slight grievances, as long as I can achieve tangible results, His Majesty will still promote me to important positions."
Gao Shilian sighed and said nothing. His nephew had been exceptionally intelligent since childhood, well-versed in literature and history, and quite strategic. However, he had one flaw: an overwhelming desire for power.
Wanting to be an official is not unusual; nearly everyone who enters the service has such thoughts. Most only think about it and try their best when opportunities arise. But Changsun Wuji was different; he was willing to gamble everything when given a chance and would create opportunities even if none existed.
At his age, being the head of the Dali Temple was already a high position, yet he still acted so recklessly, seeking a chance to make an impression on His Majesty among the court officials.
As for the reason behind his character, no one knows a child better than their parent. Although he was not Wuji's father but merely his uncle, he had raised him and understood him well.
Years ago, Zhangsun Anyie had driven Wuji and his sister out of their home, forcing them to seek refuge with their uncle despite their noble birth.
Although he came from the Bohai Gao Clan, which had a considerable collection of books, he was not wealthy; he merely owned some farmland and a house in Chang'an.
During the previous dynasty, his official rank was not high either; he was just a minor official at the ninth rank. It was already a struggle to support his entire family.
Later, due to Minister of War Huszheng secretly assisting Yang Xuangan in fleeing to Goguryeo, he was implicated and exiled to Lingnan. He did not even know if he could survive long enough to return. All he could do was sell his farmland and exchange it for a small house to accommodate his elderly mother, wife, children, and nephew.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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