“Lord Huo must have his reasons,” Kong Wu suddenly said. “Kong Wu believes that there is no harm if Lord Wei hears what he has to say before passing judgment.”
Kong Wu turned to Huo Jue, his voice calm. “Lord Huo, there is no such thing as a minor affair in the Bureau of Military Personnel. I trust that Lord Huo has his reasons for saying such things, and I am willing to hear your opinion.”
He seemed to be very fair and objective, but there was a sharp edge in his tone. It was clear that if Huo Jue could not give a persuasive explanation, this matter would be far from over, and Kong Wu would not let him go.
“Hmph!”
Huo Jue sneered, sensing the edge in Kong Wu’s words. But even in the face of the invisible tsunami of pressure from the gathered officials, Huo Jue was not intending to back down.
“Your Highness, this subject believes that there is a person more qualified than anyone else for the position of temporary Minister of War. This lowly subject believes that there is no better candidate than him!” Huo Jue proclaimed in a resounding tone.
“Talk!” the First Prince said, his face twisted into a nasty scowl.
The First Prince had thought that Kong Wu and the Bureau of Personnel official would make Huo Jue back down, not expecting Huo Jue to not know what was good for him and once more voice his opposition, even claiming that there was someone even more qualified than Kong Wu.
The palace had become utterly silent. Although the First Prince was trying his best to control it, everyone could hear the anger in his voice.
His words today had made it so that Huo Jue would probably not be the Auxiliary Assistant Minister for much longer.
But Huo Jue appeared to not hear and was already putting forth his candidate.
“The King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong!” Huo Jue declared as all the officials watched.
When he announced the name, a bolt of lightning seemed to descend on the heads of all the officials. Kong Wu, the official from the Bureau of Personnel, all the other officials, the First Prince, and even the squinting Prime Minister trembled in shock as their eyes flew open.
The King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong!
This name had not been mentioned for a long time, ever since Wang Chong had been stripped of his post as Advisor-in-Waiting. The name was like a magic spell, an existence that all the members of the court feared.
No one had expected to hear his name at a time like this, and for such an important post as temporary Minister of War.
The mood in the court instantly tensed. Now that Wang Chong was involved, things were far from simple.
Huo Jue had barely finished speaking when a voice of reproach resounded through the hall. “Huo Jue, what nonsense are you speaking!? The King of Foreign Lands was just removed from his post as Advisor-in-Waiting and simply doesn’t have the seniority to take the post of temporary Minister of War. Moreover, the King of Foreign Lands is not a member of the Bureau of Military Personnel and has no knowledge of its operations, much less any experience. For what reason should he be the temporary Minister of War?”
This was the other Assistant Minister of the Bureau of Military Personnel, Wu Tai. While his prestige and seniority were beneath Kong Wu, he was Huo Jue’s superior, so it was only natural that he could criticize Huo Jue.
King Qi finally took two steps forward and sneered, “Hmph, a mere Auxiliary Assistant Minister of the Bureau of Military Personnel, an official that’s not even lower-rank-four, dares to speak up when the matter of the temporary Minister of War is being discussed, and even object? Just who gave you this audacity?” His expression was cold and oozing with disdain.
With King Song gone, King Qi had no restraints in court, and his power was truly at its zenith.
Moreover, King Qi had always been arrogant and unbridled in his conduct, and even Zhangchou Jianqiong had feared him, let alone a mere Auxiliary Assistant Minister.
As expected, Huo Jue’s hand trembled upon hearing King Qi’s scornful jeers, but he quickly steadied his resolve.
“Your Highness, Huo Jue alone is naturally irrelevant, and I alone would not dare to enter the discussion of who will be temporary Minister of War. But what if there were others who strongly recommended the King of Foreign Lands?” Huo Jue said, his forceful voice devoid of fear.
Huo Jue, as a single Auxiliary Assistant Minister, naturally had no influence, but his words caused everyone in the hall to grimace, and even the First Prince couldn’t help but twitch an eyebrow.
“Your Highness, this lowly subject has a memorial. Please inspect it!”
Huo Jue ignored the staring eyes and quickly looked up to the enthroned First Prince. At the same time, he took a prepared letter from his wide sleeve and offered it up with both hands.
When Huo Jue took out this letter, the entire hall fell silent. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Li Linfu couldn’t help but slightly frown.
Even a fool could see that Huo Jue had come prepared. This matter had suddenly become much more complicated.
After a few moments of thought, the First Prince finally said, “Bring it up!” In the current situation, he was compelled to look at the memorial.
A eunuch had already come forward. Taking the memorial, he deferentially sent it up to the First Prince. The hall was silent as the First Prince profoundly glanced at Huo Jue and then turned to open the memorial. After reading just a few lines, he nastily scowled.
Li Linfu, King Qi, and Kong Wu had been staring at the First Prince this entire time. They couldn’t see the contents of the memorial, but the First Prince’s reaction made their hearts thump in dismay. It now seemed like Huo Jue had come to represent Zhangchou Jianqiong, who wanted Wang Chong to take his place. But Zhangchou Jianqiong alone did not have the power to shake the First Prince’s resolve. There must have been others.
Huo Jue loudly proclaimed the contents of the memorial. “Your Highness, Lord Zhangchou, Anxi Protector-General Gao Xianzhi, His Highness King Song, and Big Dipper Great General Geshu Han have jointly recommended the King of Foreign Lands to assume the post of temporary Minister of War. The King of Foreign Lands is a skilled campaigner who has achieved great things for the Great Tang. These venerable gentlemen unanimously agree that he is the ideal candidate for temporary Minister of War. Your Highness, please bestow your wise judgment!”
Bang!
Several lightning bolts seemed to crash down. The names of Zhangchou Jianqiong, King Song, Gao Xianzhi, and Big Dipper Great General Geshu Han shook the entire hall. These four names wielded immense weight in the Great Tang, and a single stomp from one of them could shake the realm. Unexpectedly, the four of them had joined together to recommend Wang Chong for the post of temporary Minister of War.
“How could it be like this?”
Kong Wu’s body was trembling, his eyes wide open in shock. He had never expected things to turn out like this.
With these four adding their recommendations to Wang Chong’s reputation, he was no longer sure how this unexpected development would end.
“What is going on here?”
“Even the Big Dipper Great General recommended the King of Foreign Lands!”
“Isn’t King Song still ill and unable to speak? How could he have recommended the King of Foreign Lands?”
The officials began to chatter, and they could not be blamed. This memorial was truly too surprising. The First Prince had clearly been supporting Kong Wu, but no one had expected Zhangchou Jianqiong and King Song to so strongly object.
“Although King Song cannot move, his mind is clear. I have a letter that he ordered his old butler to write, but it has his personal seal. Your Highness, please inspect it.”
Huo Jue composedly took out a letter and handed it up.
The arguing officials fell silent. Huo Jue had come even more prepared than they had initially imagined.
King Song was an Imperial King of the Great Tang, and the one with the greatest authority. No one could fake his personal seal.
“Hmph, w
ho cares about King Song?” King Qi coldly snorted and came forward. “This king believes that Kong Wu is the best choice and gives him my full support!”
He was King Song’s mortal foe, and Wang Chong had ruined his plans time and time again. He could not let them do as they pleased. If King Song recommended someone, he would oppose them with all his strength.
Everyone else in the hall couldn’t help but frown. King Qi’s words seemed right. In terms of status, these two were about the same, and he was enough to neutralize King Song’s influence.
But the critical problem was that Kong Wu’s weight and influence were far inferior to Wang Chong’s!
Kong Wu’s face had by now turned ghastly. He was in the most awkward of circumstances. He was enraged and filled with venom, yet unable to express any of his emotions. Almost subconsciously, Kong Wu turned to the First Prince.
Chapter 1676 - A Tempest in the Court! (III)
Chapter 1676: A Tempest in the Court! (III)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The First Prince’s brow slightly creased. Down below, Zhu Tong’en immediately understood and stepped forward.
“Your Highness! If your lowly subject remembers correctly, Your Highness sent the King of Foreign Lands not too long ago as a special envoy to the Yue to handle matters in Lingnan. The Yue of Lingnan are all mixed together and present an extremely thorny problem for which mishandling would lead to even greater chaos. At present, the King of Foreign Lands is most needed at Lingnan. This lowly subject believes that the King of Foreign Lands will not be able to free himself up very soon and will be unable to take on the post of temporary Minister of War!”
The Lingnan matter had originally been a ploy by the First Prince to get Wang Chong out of the capital. To use it now to hinder Wang Chong and prevent him from snatching the temporary Minister of War post from Kong Wu was clearly the superior plan.
After all, Wang Chong had been made a special envoy to the Yue and ordered to Lingnan before discussion had even begun on the matter of the temporary Minister of War.
“Mm!”
The First Prince nodded, a hint of praise in his eyes as he glanced at Zhu Tong’en. Zhu Tong’en and Meng Tu each had their own advantages. Choosing to use the Lingnan matter against Wang Chong was truly an excellent choice.
“Lord Zhu speaks reason! There have been many incidents of unrest in Lingnan before this, and none of the governors dispatched have been able to do anything about it. Another incident might make all of Lingnan fall into turmoil. In contrast, the Great Tang is at peace with the other countries and there are no wars on the border, so making the selection for the temporary Minister of War is not of the utmost priority. The talents of the King of Foreign Lands are needed more in Lingnan. This prince believes that the King of Foreign Lands should be dispatched to Lingnan to ensure that the matters amongst the Yue are completely resolved. What do the honored officials think?” the First Prince said, his eyes scanning the hall.
“Your Highness speaks reason! This lowly subject agrees!”
“This lowly subject also agrees!”
In a flash, the officials down below called out in agreement. Almost the entire court now consisted of supporters of the First Prince, King Qi, and Li Junxian. The First Prince was determined to promote Kong Wu, and all of these officials were only too willing to express their approval!
The enthroned First Prince couldn’t help but smile at this sight. With a casual argument, he had neutralized the joint recommendation of Zhangchou Jianqiong, King Song, Gao Xianzhi, and Geshu Han.
“Your Highness, this subject has another memorial to submit!”
To everyone’s surprise, Huo Jue was not at all panicked by this widespread approval for the First Prince’s words, not even a ripple of emotion showing on his face. It was as if he had already predicted this scene would occur.
“Lingnan has already been divided into two areas, and the Yue have gathered and sworn an oath of alliance with all their chieftains present to serve as witnesses. In addition, a stele was set up commemorating this alliance, swearing that the offspring of the Yue will live in harmony for the rest of time, tilling the land together and no longer warring against one another. The lands of the Yue are now peaceful and harmonious, with all the conflicts and struggles resolved.
“This lowly subject learned of this matter from a letter received from an old friend in Lingnan, but as the court requires that the proper procedures are followed, this news is traveling at a somewhat slower pace. But given the time that has passed, the news from Lingnan should be reaching the capital soon!”
These words immediately silenced the court, particularly the First Prince and Zhu Tong’en. They hadn’t expected this news to come up mere moments after they raised the Lingnan matter.
“How could this be?!”
The First Prince’s face instantly turned dark, and he turned his head toward an official of the Bureau of Personnel standing in the ranks.
The official from the Bureau of Personnel responsible for Lingnan trembled as he stepped forward.
“Your Highness, this subject received the report from Lingnan an hour ago and was preparing to submit the memorial today. The Yue of Lingnan truly have established an alliance, commemorated with a stele. Not only have the Yue resolved all their conflicts, they’ve reached an unprecedented level of cooperation and interaction. In this aspect, the Lingnan matter truly has been resolved!”
He had thought that the Lingnan matter was simply one of the many ordinary affairs that the court needed to handle every day. But to his surprise, Huo Jue had gotten ahead of him, and besides that, the First Prince had actually broached the topic.
Even worse was that this routine report had suddenly become connected to the struggle for the post of temporary Minister of War.
The First Prince’s face had a nasty expression. When he heard the words of that official, he felt like someone had given him a sharp slap to the face. The Lingnan matter had been their best excuse to hinder Wang Chong, but it was now a farce.
What the First Prince found even more unacceptable was that Wang Chong had yet to take even a step out of the capital, but the Lingnan matter that had troubled the court for so long had been easily resolved through his farsighted strategies.
“Reporting!”
A resounding voice came from outside as a guard in clattering armor walked in and got down on one knee.
“There are urgent reports sent by the Anxi, Qixi, Beiting, Andong, and Annan Protectorates, as well as the other border posts. Your Highness, please inspect them!”
All the officials silently exchanged glances. The court was in the middle of discussing political affairs that had nothing to do with the border.
The six Protectorates and the other border posts rarely submitted memorials to the court in this matter. And it was even stranger that they had all arrived at the same time by way of urgent reports.
For them to arrive at such a sensitive moment made everyone immediately feel suspicious.
The First Prince also seemed to sense something, his brow deeply creasing.
“Bring it up!” the First Prince immediately said. With so many people present, he had to accept the reports.
There were twenty-some letters, in a stack one foot thick. A eunuch took the letters and sent them up to the First Prince. The First Prince took the first letter from the top and looked through it, then the second, the third… The First Prince’s expression turned nastier and nastier, and by the last letter, his complexion was as black as the bottom of a pot.
“Bastard!”
The First Prince gnashed his teeth, the fires of rage bursting forth from his heart. If he hadn’t been in Taihe Palace, he would have immediately vented this fury.
“Your Highness,” a palace attendant cautiously whispered. The rules of the court required that any matter concerning it be reported to the assembled officials. Not even the First Prince could ignore this rule.
The First Prince suppressed his rage and said, “I leave it to the Lord Prime Minister!”
The Prime Minister was the leader of all the officials and was endowed with the power to manage the various bureaus. When it came to matters regarding the court, the First Prince would be the first to review them, and the second would be the Prime Minister.
The thick stack of letters was given to Li Linfu, whose brow furrowed. What could the letters have said that made the First Prince so angry?
With this confusion, Li Linfu began looking through the letters. Once he was done, his expression also turned strange.
“Read it!” the First Prince shouted from his raised platform.
Li Linfu shot a hesitant glance at the First Prince, and then he finally began to summarize the contents of the letter.
Li Linfu sensed that this stack of letters was a hot potato, but according to the laws of the court, after the First Prince had reviewed a report, its contents needed to be announced to the assembled officials. Even though Li Linfu was unwilling, he was compelled to do so.
“Military officers of high and low status from the six Protectorates and the various border posts, for a total of around ten thousand names, have jointly recommended the King of Foreign Lands for the post of temporary Minister of War!” Li Linfu sternly said.
Bang!
Li Linfu’s words set off an uproar in the court. Ten thousand military officers of high and low status from the six Protectorates and the border posts! This massive number, this immense strength, was enough to suffocate anyone. No one had expected all these people to recommend Wang Chong.
The recommendation of King Song, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Geshu Han, and Gao Xianzhi had an immense weight on its own, and now, they had the force of around ten thousand officers from the border. This was an immense strength that no one could ignore.
Not even the First Prince could ignore this voice. Even the court controlled by the First Prince, the Confucian Sect, and King Qi was forced to take this voice seriously.
“Nearly ten thousand officers?! How?!”
The First Prince’s faction members all had unsightly expressions. If the Prime Minister himself hadn’t summarized the contents, they would have believed this news to be fake.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 1032