Chapter 391

Chapter 391: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Royal Power, Unification of the World, Chapter 391: The Four Nine Ministers

“Does this explosive look like it has some potential? Yesterday’s… was it called fireworks?” Zhao Qi happened to run into Cheng Yu on his way to the first morning court session of the Da Yong court and struck up a conversation.

Today’s court meeting followed yesterday’s coronation ceremony, aiming to finalize official appointments and the subsequent arrangements for the Luoyang war situation. Officials in Chang’an dared not slack off, with many even rising early.

Even Zhao Qi, who theoretically should have retired to enjoy his old age, was no exception.

“Grand Tutor Zhao, why are you interested in this?” Cheng Yu replied.

Zhao Qi chuckled, “It’s those students from the Painting and Calligraphy Academy. They applied to me, their nominal dean, last night, hoping to get a couple more fireworks for reference in their paintings. But I rejected them for now.”

“I heard that last night’s sky lanterns and fireworks required a lot of manpower from His Majesty to prevent fires. The paper in the Painting and Calligraphy Academy is highly flammable. If something went wrong, I wouldn’t be able to handle it with my frail body.”

“His Majesty’s move was quite ingenious. Although the fireworks are somewhat flashy, like the new road in Chang’an, having something miraculous to talk about adds to the buzz of the somewhat rushed coronation ceremony.”

“It’s not just that,” Cheng Yu shook his head. “His Majesty hopes to demonstrate the controllability of gunpowder. Previously, Wang Yun and Liu Yang stole gunpowder from Bingzhou’s mines, causing a disturbance at Chang’an’s palace gates. Although they are dead, the negative impression of gunpowder left on the people isn’t easily erased.”

Cheng Yu replied seriously, “But His Majesty hopes that this is used to intimidate enemies, not to leave a lingering fear in the hearts of Chang’an’s people.”

Presenting it as fireworks, making the people remember the fireworks and forget the collapsed palace gates, is also the significance of Qiao Yan bringing it out now.

“That makes sense,” Zhao Qi pondered. “His Majesty is indeed thoughtful.”

Cheng Yu continued, “Additionally, presenting it at yesterday’s coronation ceremony is related to something to be announced at today’s court meeting.”

He stopped there, clearly not intending to explain further to Zhao Qi before Qiao Yan.

Zhao Qi didn’t press further. He just glanced at Cheng Yu again as they entered the Gui Palace, deeply impressed by the man.

Since the news of Qiao Yan’s impending coronation spread, everyone has been saying that Cheng Yu has a unique vision.

Having spent years in a county town in Dong Commandery, Yanzhou, without holding any official position, he collaborated with Qiao Yan during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, rose from the county magistrate of Leping to the Deputy Governor of Bingzhou, and now to the Grand Minister of Agriculture, soon to join the ranks of the nobility.

Even though everyone knows that Cheng Yu’s rapid rise alongside Qiao Yan is inseparable from his ability to manage the rear and handle state affairs, some still can’t help but feel envious.

But in Zhao Qi’s view, the real challenge isn’t just maintaining a leadership position among subordinates as Qiao Yan advances, but also remaining composed in the face of sudden wealth and power.

As they were about to enter the grand hall, Zhao Qi saw Cheng Yu adjust his new official robe’s collar, ensuring no detail was overlooked, before stepping into the hall.

Many were already present.

This largely inherited lineup from Liu Yu’s reign still felt somewhat微妙 at today’s court meeting.

But when Qiao Yan, dressed in the Son of Heaven’s court attire, sat at the head, that familiar微妙 feeling vanished instantly.

The one now dominating the court was no longer the gentle and mild Liu Yu, but a true emperor with the power of life and death.

Even if her ascension seemed like a sudden accident due to Liu Xie’s abdication and the support of Chang’an’s people, not everyone could receive such treatment, nor could everyone handle such an unexpected opportunity.

What they should now focus on isn’t why Qiao Yan became the Son of Heaven of Chang’an, but how to adapt to her style of governance.

They not only changed into different court attire but also needed to transform themselves from the inside out.

Yesterday’s fireworks were flashy, and the coronation ceremony’s rituals were far grander than Liu Yu’s, with the gifts given to the people being quite valuable. But this doesn’t mean Qiao Yan is someone who loves grandeur.

On the contrary, she has been known as a pragmatist since her time as the Governor of Bingzhou!

Now, this requirement extends beyond Qiao Yan’s direct subordinates.

Indeed, when Qiao Yan spoke her first words, everyone felt an indescribable pressure.

“Da Yong is newly established, and there is much to be done. I need to work together with all of you. Yesterday, I promised the people of Chang’an to care for their well-being, and I meant it. With the harsh seasons above and continuous warfare below, there is no time for slack.” Zhao Qi couldn’t help but twitch his eyelids.

This phrase “much to be done” is quite intimidating.

Compared to the Ye court under Liu Yu’s rule, Chang’an’s court was already considered well-governed.

Yet, Qiao Yan still said “much to be done”!

If this was to undermine the Han Dynasty’s reputation in Chang’an’s court, it’s not impossible.

But when some cautiously looked at Qiao Yan’s face, trying to discern her attitude, they felt she wasn’t doing that.

Given her absolute confidence in her new role as the Son of Heaven, she indeed didn’t need to do such trivial things, as she was confident she wouldn’t lose to Liu Yu!

Qiao Yan continued, “Given the current situation, there are many things requiring attention: official appointments and promotions, spring plowing across the nine regions, the Luoyang war situation, the printing and distribution of books and publications, school admissions, potential hazards from the dynasty change, and possible counterattacks from the Ye court. We need a lot of manpower.”

“So, rest assured, I would love to personally lead troops east as I did in the past two years, but at least for now, I won’t.”

“Since I need to oversee the central government, there’s no need to rush. We’ll handle things one by one.”

For some reason, her statement about not rushing to lead the army herself eased the earlier严肃 atmosphere.

Indeed, when Qiao Yan drew her sword and swore yesterday, even Huangfu Song thought she would lead troops the next day.

That aggressive stance of unifying the world didn’t seem like she would take it slow.

Fortunately, although Qiao Yan has no experience as an emperor, she has four years of experience as the second-in-command under the Son of Heaven.

Hearing her plan to first organize and consolidate internal affairs before taking action, Huangfu Song silently sighed in relief.

Qiao Yan looked around, seeing that everyone understood her message, and said, “Let’s start with official appointments.”

Dynasty changes最容易引发问题的，正是这官职任免。

If completely推翻前朝，从废墟之中建立新朝，反倒是件好事。

只因所有的官职都可以单独做出一番划定。

可当乔琰是以这等方式改朝换日的时候，官职的划定便有些微妙了。

跟随她数年的官员，以及此前完全挂名在大司马府之下的官员，连带着此刻必然要得到委任的乐平乔氏宗室，都该当被归属在有从龙之功的队列之中。

而那些曾经的大汉臣子，一面对她所掌控的民心声威而感到恐惧，一面又有着一份特殊的倚仗。

乔琰若是在没有一个合理缘由的情况下对他们做出了过重的打压，无疑将会是她在接任之中心中有鬼的证明。

权柄可以削弱，但绝不能被一步削弱到地里。

乔琰对这些人的想法心知肚明，更知道——

他们之中的一部分，此前并不是不能响应王允的起事，而是他们还没来得及被那位王司徒列入游说的范畴。

不过，历史上可以有曹操在官渡之战后烧毁许昌臣子暗中联系袁绍的信件，以显示他的宽宏大量，今日她也未尝不能将这些人的官职保留现状。

等到在对峙袁绍和曹操的战事之中，她麾下的直系臣属立下无可置喙的功勋，再将所有的位置尽数取代也不迟！

乔琰的指尖在手边的圣旨上摩挲了一瞬，目光中却没有任何一点特殊的波澜，只是旋即开口说道：“数日前我已经告知于各位，现任在位官职我暂时不会做出调动，对于原隶属于大司马府官员，也不会进行破格升迁，此话并不打算更改。但正如我方才所说，今时百废待兴，各地缺漏官职，务必尽快做出调配，以应不时之需，在今日便与诸位做出一番交代。”

她将圣旨朝着一边的侍从递了过去，说道：“念吧。”

那的确是一封填补方今朝堂空缺的圣旨。

公之中因王允身死而空缺出来的司徒位置，由程昱接任。

这一条不算让人意外，可当程昱接下了那代表公的印绶退回到队列之中的下一刻，负责宣读圣旨的侍从便直接丢下了接连的四道炸雷。

秦俞因数年间在都内令的位置上勤勉尽职，操持农事，在程昱协助于益州军事决断期间代为履行大司农职务，从未有过错漏。关中连年大旱却未有收成贫瘠之事，流民田亩划分之中她又不辞辛劳对簿明晰，遥想昔年，在并州的上郡种植棉田，也是由她做出了种种虫害盘查、规范耕作，何止于关中有功，也于天下有功，故而晋大司农之位。

乔岚乔亭姐妹，于徐州战局中截断刘备援军、游说周瑜作战有功，本就该当有所封赏，自其于廷尉司任职期间，审断讼狱无有缺漏之处，今廷尉之位有缺，由乔亭接管。

乐平乔氏固然人丁稀薄，由宗族所掌控的宗正之位依然不可或缺，由乔岚接管此事，日后诸侯宗亲凡有罪责，皆向宗正报备。

蔡昭姬执掌乐平月报刊印职务多年，兼管印刷之事，又以大司马府府掾之职操持中馈，而今就任少府。

九卿之中的四位！皆为女子！

哪怕在场之人绝大多…








It was already guessed that Qiao Yan, as a woman ascending to the throne, would inevitably include women in official positions in the written laws. However, no one expected her to boldly seize half of the Nine Ministers’ positions, entrusting them to Qin Yu, the Qiao sisters, and Cai Zhaoji.

She really isn’t afraid of taking too big a step!

Even though the remnants of Qin and Han customs didn’t impose such strict ideological restrictions on women holding official positions—otherwise, Qiao Yan wouldn’t have become the Governor of Bingzhou, and Ma Lun wouldn’t have been appointed as the Grand Historian—directly appointing four women to the Nine Ministers, one of whom is quite young, is simply… outrageous!

But before anyone could step forward to question her, Qiao Yan took the initiative and asked, “May I ask if any of you have suggestions regarding these appointments?”

Everyone exchanged glances, realizing that there was little room for them to raise objections.

Qin Yu had been accumulating experience since the days when Leping was still using Black Mountain Bandits to cultivate yams. After Qiao Yan took control of Bingzhou, Qin Yu took on the role of a clerical officer, and later, when transferred to Guanzhong, she made significant contributions to agriculture, far surpassing those who merely talked in court.

Her resume didn’t rely on her son Xu Shu at all; she seized the opportunities Qiao Yan gave her and achieved her current status!

Even if the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture is slightly high, could anyone honestly find a more suitable candidate than her?

Tian Chou, also a subordinate of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, is indeed capable, but he was a subordinate of Liu Yu. His continued appointment by Qiao Yan was already a gesture of respect to the abdicated emperor. How could he be promoted to Grand Minister of Agriculture?

So, the only criticism they could level against Qin Yu’s position was her gender, but with Qiao Yan on the throne, such a reason could never be voiced.

The positions of Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting were also unassailable.

The Qiao family of Leping is small, with only four members, including Qiao Zhen, who is in Luoyang managing medical affairs. Qiao Zhen is on the path to becoming the head of the medical academy and thus cannot enter the officialdom for now.

The boundary Qiao Yan drew with the Qiao family of Liang cannot be retracted just because of the “small number” of people, as it would make her appear weak.

Thus, she had to quickly promote Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting to establish their footing in the court.

This was a necessary move for the Emperor considering her clan, and fortunately, the two sisters did not disappoint Qiao Yan’s expectations, giving her a reason to make these appointments.

How could they object? Opposing the royal family is no different from opposing Qiao Yan herself!

As for Cai Zhaoji, there’s even less to say.

To avoid sharing the same name as the Emperor, she was renamed Cai Wen by Qiao Yan a few days ago, meaning “in charge of documents.”

Whether it’s the Leping Monthly Report or the printing of classics, due to the special nature of her authority, it seems inappropriate to place them under the Secretariat. Instead, they should be directly under the Emperor, along with tributes from all directions, Tongguan, and the Ministry of Works. Thus, appointing Cai Zhaoji to this position is entirely correct.

The only “mistake” is that those who were originally Liu Yu’s subordinates now realize more clearly than ever that when Qiao Yan makes these appointments, their competitors for official positions will no longer be just the scions of noble families!

People like Cheng Yu, who aren’t even from humble backgrounds, can now rise to the position of Duke.

The presence of these four female Nine Ministers has doubled the number of their competitors!

This is far more terrifying than witnessing the massive public support for Qiao Yan in Chang’an or her declaration of the “Great Revival” at the beginning of the Da Yong dynasty.

Huang Wan, under the intense gaze of the officials behind him, finally stepped forward and said to Qiao Yan, “The authority of the Minor Palace is the most complex. Although Emperor Wu of the Former Han once changed its authority, transferring the salt and iron officials to the Grand Minister of Agriculture, the Minor Palace still manages part of the tax revenue, oversees palace expenditures, and supervises departments like the Ministry of Works, the Imperial Medical Bureau, the Soup Office, and the Rice Office. I do not doubt the ability of the Minor Palace appointed by Your Majesty, but specialization is key. Moreover, tasks like book printing are labor-intensive and may not be the most suitable for her.”

Huang Wan knew he shouldn’t be saying this.

After previously preventing Liu Xie from offering the imperial seal to Qiao Yan, his current action is more than just thankless—it’s stepping on Qiao Yan’s toes!

But he had no choice.

The Minor Palace is under his jurisdiction.

Whether he responds now or not, this issue will eventually fall on him.

As soon as his last word fell, Huang Wan felt an unfriendly gaze from above. However, what he heard next was Qiao Yan saying, “You’re right.”

Huang Wan: “…?”

Wait! What does she mean by “you’re right”?

Huang Wan looked up in astonishment, meeting Qiao Yan’s meaningful gaze. “You said the authority of the Minor Palace is complex, and that’s true.”

“The Imperial Medical Bureau should have been abolished long ago with the existence of the Chiyang Medical Academy. It’s only because of the old division of authority that such an institution remains, but it has no staff. This can be removed from the Minor Palace’s authority.”

“During the reign of the Duke of Anyi as the Han Emperor, frugality was strictly observed. Now, with natural disasters not yet over, I should follow this tradition. The officials in charge of palace food, wine, and fruits in the Minor Palace should be simplified. The Soup Office can be temporarily abolished. The Rice Office, which often uses female prisoners to select rice, thus having the responsibility of supervising prisoners, can be merged into the Ministry of Justice. As for the Ministry of Works…”

What is the Ministry of Works?

It’s essentially the workshop where the Han Emperor produces various utensils.

In the most prosperous times of the Han dynasty, it included the East and West Weaving Offices, the East Garden Office responsible for tomb artifacts, and the Shangfang Office responsible for producing treasures.

Qiao Yan paused, then continued, “This will also be separated from the Minor Palace. Did you all see the fireworks yesterday?”

Without waiting for the officials to respond, Qiao Yan went on, “This was created by the Leping Academy of Sciences, established by Ma Deheng and Huang Yueying. Deheng has made many innovations in military weapons, and Yueying has contributed greatly to the cotton loom and the recent fireworks. I intend to establish a separate Ministry of Works to handle such innovations and subsequent production. The Ministry of Works under the Minor Palace can be directly merged into it.”

“The East and West Weaving Offices, the East Garden Office, and the Shangfang Office will be renamed and selected within the newly established Ministry of Works, without needing to be set up separately for me. Deheng will serve as the Minister of Works, with Yueying as his deputy.”

“Minister Huang, do you have any other suggestions?”

Qiao Yan coldly added, “In your opinion, is the current Minor Palace a place Cai Zhaoji can manage?”

Zhao Qi keenly realized that this was another significance of the fireworks that Cheng Yu mentioned before entering the hall.

But Huang Wan didn’t know that Qiao Yan had already prepared this arrangement for today.

He only felt that Qiao Yan’s simplification of the Minor Palace’s authority was a relentless effort to ensure Cai Zhaoji’s successful appointment!

In the face of such irreversibility, if he said anything more, it would be called ingratitude!

“I… have no objections.”

Huang Wan bowed his head and stepped back, not daring to raise any further objections.

This special interlude seemed to have no effect on Qiao Yan’s mood. She raised her hand, signaling the attendant to continue reading the remaining appointments.

Zhao Yun was appointed to the position of Minister of the Imperial Household among the Nine Ministers.

The “Imperial Household” here is different from the “Imperial Household” of the Imperial Household Doctor.

As one of the Nine Ministers under the Grand Commandant, the Minister of the Imperial Household, also known as the Chief of the Palace Guard, has a more specific role in guarding the Emperor and commanding one of the central army units.

Considering Zhao Yun’s frequent deployments by Qiao Yan to fill gaps, the officials had no doubt that once Qiao Yan stabilized the central situation and chose to lead a campaign, Zhao Yun would be the accompanying general!

However, Xianyu Fu was somewhat surprised. Although his brother Xianyu Yin participated in the assassination attempt on Qiao Yan and died by her hand, she didn’t adjust his authority, only handing over the last unit of the central army to General Dian Wei, solidifying the central army’s ownership.

The next two appointments were due to the Luoyang military situation.

Xun Yu, who was originally a candidate for the Secretariat, was appointed as the Colonel-Director of Retainers, fully responsible for the Luoyang military affairs.

Guo Jia, currently cooperating with Xu Huang at Hulao Pass, was appointed as the Governor of Yanzhou.

This early appointment, similar to Jia Xu’s as Governor of Qingzhou, led to much speculation among the officials.

Unfortunately, seeing that Qiao Yan had no intention of revealing her subsequent military plans, they could only suppress their curiosity for now.

Perhaps because the earlier transfer of the Nine Ministers’ authority was the most shocking, the officials were somewhat dazed when hearing the final scattered appointments.

Only after the last appointment was announced and the morning court adjourned did they finally regain their senses and began whispering to each other as they left the Zichen Hall.

These figures, now blurred in Qiao Yan’s sight, gradually disappeared within the palace walls, completely isolating their conversations from her view.

Although she couldn’t possibly have a listening device on everyone to hear what they were saying, she could make some guesses.

“They don’t dare, or at least not now, to directly criticize my actions,” Qiao Yan, still sitting at the highest point of the hall, said with closed eyes, “But after today, if not for the benefit of the Han, then for their own interests, someone will surely try to curb my continuous appointment of female officials.”

“But do you think I’ve been too radical?”

She wasn’t asking anyone else but Ren Hong, who had been recording the Emperor’s first morning court as a historian since the beginning.

Hearing Qiao Yan’s question, Ren Hong momentarily recalled the scene when Qiao Yan named her but suppressed her excitement and calmly replied, “Perhaps a bit radical, but necessary.”

Of course, it’s necessary!

If Qiao Yan hadn’t ascended to the throne, Ren Hong wouldn’t be here.

And what Qiao Yan has changed isn’t just the fate of the palace maids in the Han palace but the fate of countless women in the world.

Their destinies began to shift the moment she ascended the throne.

Today’s appointment of the Nine Ministers is precisely the best benchmark she has set!

“Yes, of course, it’s necessary!” Qiao Yan suddenly laughed, and when she opened her eyes again, there was only a sharp, determined light in them. “If I, as the Emperor, don’t dare to take this step, who in the world can?”