Volume 2 Chapter 32: The State
Wanyan Wuzhu drew out his knife, but Wanyan Nianhan felt disdainful.
First of all, there are so many generals of the Western Army here, many of them are real brave generals on the battlefield, and there are also a lot of peripheral soldiers. It is impossible for a crooked man to hurt Bojilie, the commander-in-chief of the Western Army.
Secondly, although this meeting was only held in Yanjing, and although only two Bojilie were present, it was in fact a major occasion for two of the three major factions of the Great Jin Kingdom to hold "large-scale friendly consultations" on the main military operations of this year. Wanyan Wushu came up and ignored etiquette and called him by his name, and then drew his knife when he disagreed with him. This can only show that this young man is impatient and has lost his mind after a defeat in an expedition, showing his incompetence;
Finally, and most importantly, incompetence is not scary. What is scary is that Wanyan Wushu actually let everyone see his incompetence!
However, just as Nianhan sneered in his heart and looked calm on the outside, the next moment, Wanyan Wushu, who was under the attention of everyone, suddenly did something that no one expected... After the fourth prince of the Jin Dynasty drew out the dagger, he did not threaten anyone. Instead, without saying a word, he cut his forehead in public!
White blades, red meat, and blood.
As everyone was stunned, Wanyan Wushu threw down his dagger again, knelt down facing north, kowtowed repeatedly, and even cried loudly:
"Dad, if you are still alive, please open your eyes and take a look. You have only been gone for five or six years, and your son has been bullied to this extent by the servants!"
Like everyone else, Nianhan was stunned at first, then he was stunned, and then he felt a chill in his heart and burst into anger... This Wanyan Fourth was too arrogant and shameless!
Is it worth it to fight for a grudge?
"Old Four!"
Sure enough, in this eerily quiet atmosphere, without anyone saying anything, Wanyan Aguda's eldest son, another person present, Bojilie, who was also the real leader of Aguda's faction at the time, Wanyan Oben, spoke out in time to rebuke him, and judging from his expression, he did not seem to be faking it. "Nianhan is our elder brother, not a family slave. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will ask the king to make you go back to Liaodong and never enter the pass again!"
Upon hearing this, Wanyan Wushu ignored the blood on his forehead and the bloodstains on the ground in front of him, and immediately turned around, slightly raised his buttocks and bowed to Nianhan, and made a serious gesture of apology, as if it was not him who cut his face and cursed him just now: "Brother Nianhan, I don't know the severity of the situation, and I spoke nonsense and offended you. Please punish me."
"Wuzhu, we are brothers, and you are young. It's okay for you to curse me when you are unhappy ." Wanyan Nianhan was extremely angry, but he managed to hold it back and just complained slightly. "But you shouldn't have said anything about a slave... because that would have involved my father! And my father is the cousin of Emperor Taizu, and your uncle is the prime minister of the Great Jin! Your elder brother's Hulugbujilie inherited his position. If my father is the slave of Emperor Taizu, then your elder brother has also become the slave of our Jin emperor, right?"
"Drag him away!" Hulugbujilie Wanyan Oben, who was standing by, was slightly startled, and then he took over the conversation again, pointing at his fourth brother in the hall and saying, "Right here, whip him twenty times!"
The guard next to him hesitated for a moment, but in the fierce silence of the two guards, he gritted his teeth and stepped forward, dragged Jin Wushu to the threshold of the lobby of the Xingtai Shangshu Province, and did not dare to take off his pants, but just pulled open his shirt and executed the fourth prince from the back in public.
The sound of whipping was slow and heavy, and the scene in the Yanjing Xingtai Shangshu Province became quiet again to the point of being scary.
No one expected Wanyan Wushu to do this, but the fourth prince not only cut his own forehead with a knife, but also easily cut open all the outer curtains of the core power of the Jin Dynasty with just one sentence.
Of course, Nianhan was not a family slave. As Nianhan himself said, his father Wanyan Sagai was the cousin of Jin Taizu Wanyan Aguda and also the prime minister.
In fact, Wanyan Sagai's faction was the second largest faction within the Jurchens from the very beginning... and after inheriting his father's power, Nianhan himself also possessed one of the three main forces of the Jin Dynasty, and even the commander-in-chief of the strongest western army. After the death of Wanyan Wuliebu (Aguda's second son), he actually became the number one person in the army and the first meritorious minister of the founding of the country by relying on the huge military merits and prestige accumulated in the wars to destroy Liao and Song.
Therefore, of course Nianhan can be angry! He has the right to be angry! And he can openly force Wanyan Wushu to be punished... Not to mention Wanyan Wushu, a few years ago, Nianhan also led the incident of caning the current Jin emperor Wanyan Wuqimai! I have never heard that Emperor Wuqimai did something to Nianhan after being beaten with 20 sticks.
However, Nianhan is Nianhan, and others are others. With Jin Wushu's words just now, almost everyone has become sensitive to a problem, that is, no matter how chaotic the power inside the Jin Dynasty is, how they check and balance each other, how they have the spirit of tribal democracy, and how they are rapidly sinicized, and even how large the power vacuum is left under the coexistence of the Boghile system and the Duyuanshuaifu system...but an undeniable fact is that there is no room for others in the core power.
The three major factions of the Jin Dynasty.
The first is the Wanyan Wuqimai faction, he is the second emperor of the Jin Dynasty, legitimate and natural;
The second is the Nianhan faction, and the source of Nianhan's power is too classic... political tradition, blood inheritance, military power, plus the prestige accumulated by personal military merits, and the natural safe haven of the distant branch of the Wanyan clan. The complexity and rationality of the situation can be written into a book such as "On What is Political Power";
But the third faction, that is, the Aguda faction, was too direct. Especially after the death of the prestigious Second Prince Wanyan Wuliebu, the source of power of this faction was actually simple to the point of being criminal, that is, blood inheritance, because they were the descendants of Wanyan Aguda!
With this, Aguda's eldest son Wanyan Wuben could become Wulubojire , the de facto prime minister; with this, Aguda's third son Wanyan Erlido could take charge of the military power in Yanjing after the death of his second son Wulibu, and be named as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Army; with this, Jin Wushu, who was young, had no qualifications, and even suffered a defeat and lost many soldiers, could make everyone shut up and not dare to interfere in the affairs between them brothers and Nianhan.
In fact, after being whipped, Jin Wushu stood up with blood all over his body. He did not look like a man who had just been punished and lost his dignity, but rather like an absolute winner!
His face was ferocious as he looked around, and wherever his eyes fell, the nobles of all ethnic groups in the hall, countless generals from the east and west, and countless high-ranking civil and military officials in Yanjing all avoided him.
After a short while, Wanyan Wushu sat down again, and the two sides began to discuss this year's military plan again. However, this time, since Wanyan Loushi, Wanyan Gushen, Wanyan Yinshuke and other heavyweight confidants were not there, it was only Nianhan who faced the three Wanyan brothers, which made them look very embarrassed. The rest of the people, after what happened just now, did not dare to interrupt easily... Even Wanyan Talan, a representative of the third faction and the marshal's left military supervisor, was silent with a dark face throughout the whole process.
It is said that Jin Wushu's soldiers used a surprising tactic, using a weird method of killing one thousand enemies and losing eight hundred of their own, turning the enlarged meeting into a core meeting and creating a siege, so that Nianhan was full of flaws under the siege of the three brothers... But the most powerful minister of the Jin Dynasty never wavered, and in the end, perhaps because he was angry, he simply followed Wushu's example and acted like a hooligan in public.
"No matter what you brothers say, the Western Army has its own destination." As the sun began to set, Nianhan said so, and the meeting ended in a bad mood.
When the meeting was over, the various Jin nobles in Yanjing, who had been holding back for the whole morning, naturally called their friends and went home together, starting to talk a lot.
However, talking about the depressing meeting just now, leaving aside the backbones of the two major factions, most neutral people had the same opinion - judging from the personal performance of the top leaders, the Fourth Prince Wuzhu had undoubtedly gone too far, to the point of being disgusting; however, Nianhan did lose the upper hand in the subsequent debate, because he could not effectively explain his strange position on the Western Xia issue. Why did he refuse to assist the Eastern Route Army on the grounds of Western Xia, but at the same time refused to launch a war of annihilation against Western Xia?
Combined with the recent rumors in Yanjing, some people speculated that either Xixia gave Nianhan a huge bribe, or Nianhan deliberately wanted to keep Xixia, the so-called keeping the enemy to protect himself, so as to maintain his political privileges in western Hebei and Shanxi.
You should know that the first imperial examination of the Jin Dynasty, which had just ended, was handled by Nianhan in the name of the Left Deputy Marshal of the Capital Marshal's Office, and all the talented people who passed the examination were placed in Hebei and Shanxi by him.
However, as the so-called direct and collateral branches of the Wanyan clan became increasingly conflicted, not to mention the natural discussions among other people in Yanjing City, Wanyan Talan, the left military supervisor of the Grand Marshal's Office and a trusted minister of the current king, returned to his own house, but did not return to his own room at all. Instead, he could not wait to move into a remote courtyard in his house and asked the "master" of the courtyard, who was somewhat unprepared, to consult him.
"Well, what do you think I should do, Master Qin?" Wanyan Talan sat cross-legged on a stone bench under the grape trellis in the courtyard. After talking about the situation, his face still looked unhappy . "Which side should I help?"
The young scholar Qin, of course, was the handsome and long-legged Qin Hui, who was at the prime age of a scholar. Hearing this, he responded calmly and seriously, without the anxiety of the past: "This matter is actually simple, but it is a bit inappropriate for a student to say this."
"What does this mean?" Wanyan Talan frowned slightly, and his mood became increasingly unhappy.
"Reporting to the deputy commander, the current situation is that the differences between the eastern and western armies cannot be easily reconciled. So instead of trying to help one side persuade the other, it is better to take advantage of the fierce situation between the two sides and take advantage of it for you, the deputy commander." Qin Hui carefully bowed his hands. "However, let's not talk about the fact that I have received great favors from the former second prince, Marshal Olibu, and Marshal Nianhan, and later from the king. Now there are three powers in the country. If you want to benefit from it, you have to manipulate it from the highest level, which is suspected of abusing power. And for a surrendered person like me, isn't this a bit excessive?"
Ta La was slightly startled, and after understanding the meaning of the other party's flowery words, he couldn't help but sigh, "Xiao Qin, you also said that there are three powers in the country, and the situation on both sides is fierce. It is not something we can intervene in. And you have been in my house for many years, and we are already very close. At this time, you are giving me a plan, what is the transgression?"
"Yes." Qin Hui became more cautious.
"So, how do we do it?" Talan leaned forward despite the heat, as if he couldn't wait. "What good can we get from it?"
Qin Hui smelled the strong scent of spices on his benefactor's body, pursed his lips slightly, took two deep breaths, and then slowly said: "Deputy Marshal, although the scholar calls you the deputy marshal, it is just a common name. In fact, you are only the left military supervisor of the Marshal of the Capital Marshal's Office; and although Marshal Nianhan is called the marshal by everyone, he is only the deputy marshal of the Capital Marshal's Office... Is that right?"
"What's wrong with that?" Talai couldn't help but laugh when he heard that, revealing his yellow teeth. "Ever since Anbanbojiliexiye returned the position of Grand Marshal, the Grand Marshal of the Grand Marshal's Office is actually the king, and the left and right deputy marshals are actually the real marshals commanding the left and right routes, and the east and west sides, and I and Wanyan Gushen, the two military supervisors, are actually deputy marshals... It's not wrong to say that."
"Has the deputy commander ever thought about becoming a real marshal?" Qin Hui suddenly asked, hitting the other party's heart.
Talai fell silent, sat back down again, and after a long pause, he shook his head and said, "Huizhi, don't joke with me. Who doesn't want to be a real marshal? But the left and right deputy marshals are Nianhan and Erliduo (Aguda's third son, Wuzhu's third brother). What do you want me to do to compete with these two?"
Qin Hui was slightly pleased in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. He just took the opportunity to take a breath and then continued to talk calmly: "Deputy Marshal, you naturally cannot compete with these two... But if all the marshals resign, what if a marshal's position becomes vacant?"
Talai felt it was more and more absurd: "The Grand Marshal is the ruler of the country. How can the ruler of the country resign? If he resigns, what will happen to the military power of the Grand Marshal's Office?"
"Of course, Marshal Nianhan will be promoted to Grand Marshal. The Third Prince Erliduo is already in charge of Hebei, so why not transfer him to the Western Army Marshal? And you, the Deputy Marshal, will take advantage of the situation to be promoted to the Eastern Army Marshal!" Qin Hui stood with his hands clasped together and blurted out. "In fact, it is because the king left the Grand Marshal's Mansion that he wants you, the Deputy Marshal, to take over the military power for him!"
Talai's heart moved slightly, as if he had grasped something, but he still couldn't see it clearly. He couldn't help but feel anxious and asked earnestly: "But why did the king take the initiative to give up the position of the commander-in-chief and let me take charge of the military power for him?"
"Two reasons." Qin Huizhi explained again with his hands folded. "One is that the king is actually unable to lead the army. So, borrowing the capital marshal to take charge of the military power is rather useless... oh, rather vain. It would be better to send a trusted person to truly take charge of the military power. The king did not take the position of the capital marshal purely for the military power. The other reason is, of course, that the marshals are willing to give the king what he wants most."
"Don't be so mysterious." Talan became more and more anxious. "What does the king want most?"
"Of course, it's about who will be the third emperor of the Great Jin after the king's death." Qin Huizhi bowed to the north from a distance.
It was as if the clouds had parted and the moon was revealed, and everything was completely clear to Talan.
It is said that when the Jin Dynasty was first established, the issue of succession was a mess!
After Aguda's death, his younger brother Anbanbojile (crown prince) Wanyan Wuqimai succeeded to the throne, who is now the king; and after Wanyan Wuqimai succeeded to the throne, Anbanbojile (crown prince) was his younger brother Wanyan Xieye... At the same time, Aguda, relying on the power of founding a country, left a huge political and military legacy to his sons. Aguda's eldest son, who was the leader of a faction, and Hulugbojile Wanyan Woben, who is opposed to Nianhan today, has been trying to compete with Xieye for the throne, so that people from top to bottom openly call these descendants of Aguda the princes.
However, back to the current ruler, Wanyan Wuqimai was unwilling to let his younger brother or his nephew do it. He allowed his nephew to compete with his younger brother for the throne, and deprived his younger brother of the position of Marshal before, and then took it concurrently. In fact, there was only one purpose, which was to help his own son to the throne! The biggest obstacle to this emperor was none other than Nianhan! Because if this weird inheritance system is maintained, Nianhan can also get something. In fact, the farce of caning the emperor before was a mess caused by Nianhan and Xieye.
Some of the Jin nobles who came from the primitive tribal alliance were still confused and didn't understand such things. However, for the Song surrendered people who were familiar with the "Golden Casket Alliance" of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong of Song and knew about Emperor Taizong's tricks, as well as the Liao surrendered people, and even the Jin nobles who were slightly sinicized and had quick minds, it was a matter of course that they knew it very well.
In fact, there is a recognized joke among the Han people in Yanjing. It is said that Jin Taizu Wanyan Aguda was a genius of his time, and Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin was also a wise ruler. However, Aguda did not learn the good things but only learned the bad things. He only learned the Golden Casket Alliance, which caused endless disasters.
So back to the present, Qin Hui's proposal is simple:
The three major factions of the Jin Dynasty each had their own reliance, and the current dispute between the Eastern Army and the Western Army over the marching route was simply irreconcilable, because they were not formed into the Eastern and Western Armies according to factions, but because as the Eastern and Western Armies, each formed two huge interest groups in the war, thus forming factions.
Well, at this moment, Talai, as the representative of the King of the third party Jin in Yanjing, could take advantage of the intense situation between the two sides, and from the perspective of the highest level, he could manipulate both sides and make profits for himself by using the name of the King far away in Huining Prefecture... or he could also take a bird's eye view and share the King's worries!
"Marshal Nianhan's confidants are not in Yanjing, so he is isolated and helpless. He is a person who cannot swallow his anger. And after what happened today, he should understand that at his age, it is impossible for him to reach the throne. So it is a good opportunity to use the position of the Grand Marshal in exchange for Marshal Nianhan to give up his support for Xie Ye. With the position of the Grand Marshal, he will be truly second to none, and he should be satisfied after suppressing the three princes..." Qin Hui gritted his teeth and continued, but in the end he did not dare to say it out.
"It will definitely work. The king and Nianhan will probably agree, but Oben, Erliduo and Wushu will definitely make a scene." Talai was so excited that he couldn't help but feel uneasy on the stone bench. "In fact, Oben will also agree, because he is also competing with Xieye, but Xieye has always been pushed by Nianhan and has the reputation of Anban Bojilie. But Erliduo and Wushu will not benefit from it, and they will be suspected of losing the military power of the Eastern Route Army, so they are bound to make a scene, and even Oben will not dare to agree."
"The Fourth Prince will not make a scene." Qin Hui replied sternly. "After what happened this spring, the Fourth Prince has lost his mind. Marshal, you just need to tell him that as the Marshal of the Eastern Army, you will urge the king to send troops as soon as possible, regardless of whether the dispute is resolved or not, and the Eastern Army will fully cooperate with him to attack Nanyang. With this statement, he will definitely agree!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Hui suddenly lost his composure and tried hard to cover it up.
Talan was stunned for a moment, but was overjoyed under the grape trellis: "If the second and fourth brothers support me, even if the third brother is a little unhappy, he will have to bear it, and this matter will be settled...Xiao Qin Xueshi is really a first-class figure in the world. He easily found such a great opportunity for me, allowing me to manipulate the power of the country with my handsome body as easily as a child kneading mud! If one day I really hold power, I will definitely let you rule the country!"
This time, Qin Hui was completely at a loss and could only bow in panic.
