"General..."
Xin Chang stood behind Sima Zhao, his face wreathed in smiles.
Sima Zhao wore very plain clothes. He had built a hut beside his elder brother's grave and lived there, and had not been in contact with his subordinates for some time.
When Xin Chang appeared, he did not so much as glance at him.
"The Empress Dowager has issued an edict asking you to serve as General of the Guards and quell the rebellions across the land."
Xin Chang braced himself and broached the matter at hand.
After the Empress Dowager gave her order, the ministers made their decision. They, too, knew this could not be delayed.
The ministers needed someone to make decisions.
Though Zheng Chong was reluctant, he nevertheless became the one making those decisions.
All the ministers felt Zheng Chong could fill the position.
His reputation, seniority, and other qualifications all met the requirements. Most importantly, he never fought for anything, and his clan's power was exceedingly weak. Weak was hardly the word for it-he had no clan at all.
Zheng Chong had no son, so he had found a studious boy among his relatives and adopted him.
But he never concerned himself with this son or cultivated him, letting everything take its natural course. His adopted son was no longer young now. After muddling along for decades, he was still a local commandery clerk and had not even managed to become a governor.
This hardly counted as a family at all. Even the slaughtered Lu Family had been larger than theirs.
Zheng Chong would not seize too large a share of the benefits, and he listened to advice and was easy to talk to. None of the ministers opposed his rise.
After discussing the matter, the ministers immediately sent Commandant of the Guards Xin