RPAGF Chapter 1071 The Beginning of Chaos (Part 2)
Chapter 1071 The Beginning of Chaos (Part 2)
Su Zheng was taken aback upon hearing this. He hadn't expected the emperor to be so impatient, which was somewhat different from what he had imagined.
However, having received the emperor's bounty, he suppressed this strange feeling and quickly replied:
"Your Majesty, I believe there are three solutions. The first is to capture the kingpin first, the second is to adopt a system of checks and balances, using one general to control another, and the third is to start from scratch."
"Oh? Tell me more," Zhou Pu said, his mood softening as he heard that what the man said made sense and was indeed feasible. He was more willing to be patient with him.
Upon hearing this, Su Zheng bowed again and continued, "Your Majesty, I believe that since the generals in various regions are already showing signs of disobeying orders, and the law does not punish the masses, the best way to ensure border stability is to first eliminate the ringleaders, that is, to pick out the most difficult troublemakers and make an example of them. This way, we can not only highlight the emperor's majesty, but also deter the other disobedient generals."
Of course, there are risks involved. If the other side is already deeply entrenched in the local area and harbors rebellious intentions, taking rash action may backfire and even force them to rebel.
Therefore, simply using the strategy of "capture the king first" is not enough. The second method I just mentioned is to simultaneously use generals to control generals. Select a few forces loyal to Your Majesty and support them, thereby defeating them one by one from within, preventing them from uniting. This will make it much easier to deal with them.
As for the last method, starting from scratch, it is something that must be done in the long run: establishing a new army directly loyal to Your Majesty, modeled after the Shence Army and the Imperial Guard of the previous dynasty. However, this requires substantial financial support and is likely to arouse suspicion from other court officials, so further detailed planning is needed.
Although Su Zheng usually gives the impression of being gentle, polite, and refined, he seems to glow when he talks about policies for governing the country, possessing an almost imperceptible attraction.
He felt a little uneasy after saying so much in one breath, afraid that His Majesty would think he was just a theorist with no substance.
Although Cui Rong's political acumen was average, she was very accurate in judging people. She discovered Su Zheng's subtle talent when they were in the Eastern Palace. Given time, this unpolished gem will surely shine brightly.
In an attempt to win him over and curry favor, Cui Rong smiled and praised, "Lord Su truly lives up to his reputation as a third-place scholar. Not only is he well-versed in the classics, histories, and philosophical works, but he can also apply his knowledge flexibly to the art of governing the country. This is exactly the kind of talent His Majesty urgently needs!"
At this moment, Zhou Pu's opinion of the man changed somewhat, and he turned to the eunuch and ordered, "Reward him!"
He then asked in a deep voice, "Do you know why I summoned you to an audience today?"
Before Su Zheng could kneel down to express his gratitude, he heard the question. After considering it for a moment, he replied honestly, "Your Majesty must be troubled by the matter of transferring generals in various regions."
“Indeed,” Zhou Pu nodded. “This matter is of utmost importance, but in the imperial court, every official has countless connections behind them. I need someone with a clean background and the ability to help me with this matter. It was the Empress who recommended you to me. Now it seems that the Empress’s judgment is quite good. Are you willing to accept this task?”
Although the words were ostensibly a question, they didn't actually give Su Zheng many options.
Su Zheng was a smart man, so he naturally understood and immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude.
Moreover, he has always aspired to serve his country since childhood, and now that the opportunity is before him, there is no reason not to seize it.
After leaving Yangning Palace, full of gratitude, Su Zheng was still somewhat dazed. Was he about to leap over the dragon gate and rise to great heights?
He thought he would have to wait another five or six years in the Hanlin Academy before getting his chance, but he didn't expect the opportunity to come so quickly. He was promoted three ranks in one go, which was really unexpected.
He wasn't unaware of the principle that fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Taking on this task might make him a thorn in the side of some people in the court, a target. But he didn't regret it. A true man should stand tall and make something of himself. It all depends on who has the last laugh.
In fact, Cui Rong did not make the wrong choice this time; Su Zheng did not disappoint her.
After taking office, Su Zheng quickly realized that Cui He was all show and no substance, but in reality, he was a good-for-nothing. Fortunately, this good-for-nothing was self-aware and wouldn't give orders blindly, saving Su Zheng a lot of effort.
After careful consideration, Su Zheng ultimately chose a troublemaker named Feng stationed in Shanxi. Firstly, this general did not have a particularly strong background and his territory was not large, making it relatively easy to take him down. Secondly, Shanxi was close to the capital, so any problems could be easily dealt with. Thirdly, this location would not affect the security of the border. Fourthly, Shanxi's geographical location was important, and after taking him down, it would be natural to send His Majesty's confidants there, laying the foundation for future deployments.
Therefore, after reporting to His Majesty and receiving his approval, Su Zheng finally decided on this person.
Thanks to Cui Rong's prior arrangement of his own people to guard Juyong Pass, the iron cavalry of Juyong Pass served as a deterrent. Coupled with the swift and decisive actions taken by the capital, including personally dispatching an imperial envoy to Shanxi with an imperial sword, threatening immediate execution for any disobedience, the situation was effectively resolved.
Therefore, after venting his anger and hesitating for a while, the general surnamed Feng ultimately realized the situation and did not put up a direct resistance. He obediently relinquished his military power and was demoted and transferred to the east.
Upon seeing this, the other junior officers nearby also recovered from their illnesses and were ready to be transferred.
This move was quite effective.
The result seemed simple, but the tug-of-war process in between took a lot of effort from Su Zheng. Every word and action had to be just right, using both soft and hard tactics. He couldn't offend people too much, nor could he provoke them, and at the same time, he couldn't be too weak. Cui He couldn't help either; it was all up to Su Zheng to make the arrangements.
Fortunately, he succeeded and did not disappoint His Majesty's trust.
The initial victory gave Cui He a lot of confidence, and he became arrogant. He thought that this matter was not that difficult, and Su Zheng did it with ease.
So he unceremoniously took all the credit for Su Zheng's work.
He mistook Su Zheng's ability for his own.
Although Su Zheng was somewhat displeased, the other party was the emperor's brother-in-law, and such things were quite common in officialdom, so he didn't say much.
After returning to the capital, the two were warmly received by Zhou Pu, who specially hosted a banquet for them in the palace. After the incident with the Shanxi general surnamed Feng, he had a different opinion of Su Zheng and Cui He and felt much more at ease with them.
As the banquet drew to a close, Zhou Pu asked what the next step should be.
Su Zheng was prepared and said frankly that they should not be too hasty, especially regarding the four generals stationed on the borders of the four directions. It would be best to bring their families to the capital first and settle them in. After all, these four places are the most important and cannot be taken lightly. While consolidating imperial power is important, border security is equally important. They cannot lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains.
Zhou Pu agreed without much thought and handed the task over to the two men for detailed planning and arrangements.
Before Su Zheng could even give a detailed plan, Cui He couldn't wait to act and rudely ordered his men to bring over the families of these generals.
Su Zheng's eyes went black upon hearing this, and he was extremely anxious. However, Cui He was unconvinced. "The world belongs to the Zhou family. His Majesty is the ruler, and they are the subjects. How dare they disobey? Look at how arrogant that guy surnamed Feng was before. In the end, he obediently relinquished his military power and went to that godforsaken place in the east."
Knowing that reasoning with this person was pointless, Su Zheng hurriedly went to the palace to see His Majesty, only to learn that Zhou Pu was in the alchemy room and had already given orders not to see him.
He wanted to see the Empress, but the inner palace was not allowed to interfere in politics. It was really inappropriate to report such a matter to the Empress without His Majesty's permission. Su Zheng was anxious but there was nothing he could do. He could only suppress his anxiety and wait.
However, by delaying this matter, the best opportunity to rectify the mistake was missed.
The generals stationed in the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest regions were not only capable themselves, but also had formidable family backgrounds.
Upon receiving the urgent order, the four men immediately saw through the scheme behind it: they wanted to use their families as hostages. Naturally, they refused.
They weren't as easily fooled as ordinary garrison commanders, nor as eager to move as ordinary military officers. They were already unwilling to leave, and were observing the situation. Moreover, with the aristocratic families having given prior notice, they were even less willing to move after this order was issued.
Compared to the previous superficial politeness and evasion, this time it's blatant unwillingness to move.
These four places are far from the capital. Even the nearest one, the Northeast, would take nearly a month to reach by fast horse.
Not to mention the remote northwest, southwest, and southeast regions, which take 3 to 4 months to reach, and a round trip would take almost a year.
Just then, unrest broke out on the border.
Even if Zhou Pu wanted to use swift and decisive measures, he would have to think twice. "This riot came at just the right time!"
"Father, isn't this trouble coming at just the right time?" said Xiaoyuer, who was far away in Huainan.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping'an put down his pen, sighed deeply, walked to the window, opened the study window, and looked into the distance, saying, "It looks like things are about to change; chaos is just beginning!"
As soon as he finished speaking, large raindrops began to fall, and a mist rose up in an instant!