But things didn't go as Yuan Shu had hoped.
The debate over the position of Vice Minister of the Chancellery was raging in the imperial court, with neither side willing to back down!
The young emperor, sitting on the dragon throne, watched the ministers' argument with some trepidation, and ultimately failed to make a decision on the selection.
The dispute over the position of Vice Minister of the Chancellery was merely the fuse; the subsequent series of personnel changes truly plunged the court into turmoil.
On February 15th, four officials from the Central Secretariat were impeached by the censors and forced to resign!
These four officials were all protégés of the Yuan Clan.
On February 17th, Ji Tongguang, the Minister of Ministry of Personnel, was accused of hiring someone to commit murder. The evidence was conclusive, and he was immediately imprisoned!
The case ultimately implicated eleven officials from the Ministry of Personnel.
On February 25th, several officials from the Chancellery and the Department of State Affairs were either impeached, resigned voluntarily, or transferred to local positions.
In just half a month, several high-ranking officials of the Fourth Rank or above from three provinces and six ministries were either actively or passively drawn into the turmoil.
Everyone knows --
The factional strife has begun!
On March 5th, the position of Vice Minister of the Central Secretariat remained vacant, but the Emperor unexpectedly appointed Lu Shiyi, with the additional title of Chancellor of the Secretariat and Chancellery!
Like the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, the Vice Minister of the Secretariat was also the actual head of the Chancellery. After being given the additional title of Chancellor of the Chancellery, Lu Shiyi became the de facto prime minister of the Wu Dynasty.
Even if Yuan Shu were to obtain the position of Vice Minister of the Chancellery and be further granted the title of Chancellor, he would still only be on equal footing with Lu Shiyi, sharing the power of the Chancellor.
Lu Shiyi a member of the Jiangnan Lu Clan, one of the Four Great Aristocratic Clans, and is the younger brother of the current head of the Lu family.
As the leader of the Jiangnan gentry, the Lu Clan had been suppressed by the Yuan Clan for many years. Now, Lu Clan has finally become the head of all officials, which can be described as a great victory!
On this day, it is said that after returning home from court, Yuan Shu flew into a rage and beat two servants to death.
On March 11th, something even more sensational than Lu Shiyi being granted the title of Chancellor occurred—
Cui Jin, the elder brother of the current Cui Clan Dowager Cui Jin, was appointed as General of the Cavalry, Subordinate Second Rank military officer, and commander of the Northern Headquarters Imperial Guard!
The imperial guards of the Wu Dynasty usually numbered between 100,000 and 200,000, and if auxiliary troops were included, the number would definitely exceed 200,000.
Therefore, Lin Qian was known as the instructor of the 200,000 Imperial Guards.
These imperial guards were divided into two parts: the Northern Guard and the Southern Guard. The Northern Headquarters Imperial Guard was responsible for guarding the palace walls and protecting the emperor, and could be regarded as the emperor's personal guard; the Southern Headquarters Imperial Guard was responsible for guarding the capital, maintaining public order, or going out to fight.
For example, when Grand Commandant Han Shizhong led troops to Hebei Circuit to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he was leading the Imperial Guards of the Southern Army.
The Northern Headquarters Imperial Guard were divided into four armies, almost all of which were combat troops, totaling more than 50,000 men.
The Southern Headquarters Imperial Guard were divided into six armies, totaling nearly 100,000 soldiers.
Cui Jin was appointed General of the Cavalry, in charge of the Northern Headquarters Imperial Guard, which was undoubtedly a tremendous power!
While the rule against relatives of the empress interfering in politics was not an ironclad law during the Wu Dynasty, it did impose certain restrictions.
Cui Jin had previously served as the Left General of the Northern Army's Golden Guard under the influence of the Cui Clan, Subordinate Third Rank military officer, which was almost the pinnacle that relatives of the emperor could achieve. His sudden promotion naturally drew opposition from many people.
But on this matter, the young emperor, who had never shown a strong stance before, unexpectedly insisted!
Perhaps Empress Dowager Cui Clan said something to the emperor, or perhaps the recent factional strife made the young emperor uneasy.
In short, he was determined to put his own maternal uncle in command of the emperor's personal guard!
Ultimately, this matter became a settled matter, and Cui Jin instantly became a highly sought-after figure.
After Cui Jin immediately transferred four captains, seven colonels, and more than twenty centurions from the Right Feathered Forest Army!
These transferred military officers were all more or less connected to the Yuan Clan.
The Yuan residence.
After Yuan Shu finished his court session, he stayed alone in his room.
Having witnessed what had happened before, the servants were terrified and dared not utter a sound.
Inside the room, Yuan Shu's face was gloomy.
First, Lu Shiyi was granted the title of Chancellor, and later Cui Jin became General of the Cavalry, in charge of the Northern Headquarters Imperial Guard.
The connection between the two events is so obvious, how could he not understand it?
It's clear that the Cui Clan and Lu Clan families have joined forces to suppress the Yuan Clan!
Faced with the combined forces of the two powerful clans, Yuan Shu indeed suffered repeated setbacks during this period, and his influence in the court was continuously weakened.
With the Cui Clan gaining military power and the Lu Clan gaining power as prime minister, it's easy to imagine that the Yuan Clan's situation will become increasingly difficult!
Yuan Shu couldn't help but recall his father's words of admonition before he passed away:
"If the situation becomes unfavorable, then we should bide our time. As long as Shao'er's side can be stabilized, it's alright for you to back down a few steps."
The meaning of this statement is easy to understand. Yuan Feng believes that Yuan Shao's side is the most crucial. As long as there are no problems with the Shanbei Army, it is acceptable for Yuan Shu to suffer some losses in the capital and to take the initiative to back down.
Why should I back down while Yuan Shao, that illegitimate son, reaps the benefits?
A son born out of wedlock became a "model for the world," enjoying all the glory in front of others!
Yuan Shu clenched his fists tightly, his fingers digging into his flesh.
The thirty-sixth day since Long Lie was killed.
Yi Province.
Garrison.
"Quick, fall down!"
Trust your comrades, they will catch you!
Don't hesitate!
On the wooden platforms, soldiers fell backward with their backs to the ground, only to be caught by the soldiers below.
Xu Jing watched from the side, occasionally shouting a few words.
This "trust training" was naturally learned from Wu Shuangren.
After leading the Yi Province Militia in several tough battles, Xu Jing discovered that Wu Shuangren might lack in battle command, but he had unique skills in training troops!
For example, there's "trust training," standing at attention, marching in formation, and various regulations that permeate the soldiers' daily lives.
They strive for perfect order and absolute obedience in every aspect, and emphasize discipline and teamwork in every situation.
This method of training soldiers is different from the methods Xu Jing has been exposed to and learned since childhood, and he believes that Wu Shuangren's method is better.
Therefore, after becoming the military commander of Yi Province, he almost completely copied Wu Shuangren's methods of training troops.
The Yi Province military commander had 1,500 soldiers. Xu Jing, of course, did not have the bad habit of drawing salaries without working, so his 1,500 men were quickly brought to full strength.
Because many military positions in the garrison were hereditary, most of the people Xu Jing recruited were sons of military households.
After this period of training, Xu Jing had come to realize that these military households' sons were far less useful than the tenant farmers recruited by the Yi Province Militia.
The most obvious manifestation of this is that the militias in Yi Province Militia and Rong Province Militia can now conduct daily training sessions, while on Xu Jing's side, even if they only train once every three days, many people are full of complaints and are very resistant!
Xu Jing also wanted to recruit tenants on a large scale like Wu Shuangren, but the government troops and local militias were completely different, and their entrenched relationship had existed for too many years, which Xu Jing alone could not change overnight.
Simply put, Wu Shuangren could command absolute authority in the Yi Province Militia, while Xu Jing, a provincial military commander, couldn't even necessarily order his own deputy to command...
Before borrowing Wu Shuangren's training methods, Xu Jing consulted Wu Shuangren's opinion, since Yuan Clan's people had already been placed in the garrisons of Yi Province.
But Wu Shuangren didn't mind at all and told Xu Jing to take it and use it.
Now Xu Jing understood why Wu Shuangren wasn't worried about others stealing his training methods.
Using the same training methods, Xu Jing did not accept salaries without working or exploit his soldiers; he ensured that salaries were paid in full and equipment was adequately provided.
But he was certain that, with the same number of soldiers, the troops he had trained could not defeat the militia Militia Private of Yi Province Militia!
This doesn't even take into account Wu Shuangren's personal strength and his ability to lead a team to kill heads.
No wonder Wu Shuangren was unwilling to step into the limelight and wanted to continue serving as the head of his local militia.
Having served as the military commander of Yi Province for some time, Xu Jing had many insights to share.
"General, Militia Commander Wu is here."
A bodyguard came to report to Xu Jing.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jing instructed everyone to continue training, and then turned and walked to the side.
Soon, he met Wu Shuangren.
The two nodded to each other and greeted each other.
"The latest news from the capital is that Cui Jin, the elder brother of the Cui Clan Dowager Cui Jin been promoted to General of the Cavalry and will command the Northern Headquarters Imperial Guard."
As soon as he sat down, Xu Jing told Wu Shuangren what he had learned.
Guo Jiwang just finalized his plan to use Yuan Clan's influence to strike at Zhang Da when news of Yuan Feng's death arrived.
During this period, Wu Shuangren and Guo Jiwang could only observe the situation in the capital and postpone their attack on Zhang Da.
Wu Shuangren had no connections in the capital, and the only way to obtain important intelligence was by reading the official gazettes issued by the court.
However, the official gazette is updated slowly, and some secrets are not written down directly.
Therefore, Wu Shuangren's only way to learn about the situation in the capital was through the Xu Family.
During this time, he would often visit Xu Jing to learn about news from the capital.
"So, the Cui Clan gained military power, Lu Clan gained the position of prime minister. This time, it's the two powerful clans joining forces to suppress the Yuan Clan?"
After listening, Wu Shuangren made a judgment immediately.
These days he learned a lot about court affairs from Xu Jing, and with Guo Jiwang helping him analyze things, he was no longer completely confused.
Xu Jing nodded. "My uncle said the same thing in his letter. Also, he has been transferred from the Northern Headquarters Imperial Guard and is now holding a sinecure."
Xu Jing's uncle Xu Ning, was previously a centurion in the Northern Headquarters Imperial Guard and is currently the only member of the Xu Family holding a position in the capital.
At Yuan Feng's behest, Yuan Shu took the initiative to win over the Xu Family and hosted a banquet for Xu Ning.
Xu Ning had originally received a promise from the Yuan Clan that he would soon be promoted to captain, but now he was implicated by the Yuan Clan and was transferred away as soon as Cui Jin took office.
Wu Shuangren paused for a moment.
This is why he and Guo Jiwang haven't taken action against Zhang Da yet.
The Xu Family is now associated with the Yuan Clan, and even if the connection isn't deep, they may still be implicated.
Even if the Yuan Clan's ship doesn't sink, just a slight sway could still cause some turbulence for the Xu Family, who are far away in Jiannan Circuit!
Fortunately, it seems that only Xu Ning in the capital has been implicated so far, while things are currently fine in Jiannan Circuit.
"I plan to have the Xu Family stand up and confront Zhang Da next."
After pondering for a moment, Wu Shuangren spoke to Xu Jing.
"Um?"
Xu Jing was taken aback. "Not relying on the Yuan Clan's influence anymore?"
Wu Shuangren smiled and said, "In the current situation, lending it out might actually make things worse."
Xu Jing nodded. "That's true... but it will be very difficult for our Xu Family alone to bring down Zhang Da."
Wu Shuangren: "Isn't there still me?"
After chatting for a while, Wu Shuangren got up to say goodbye.
Xu Jing watched the other person's departing figure, he felt that the other person had suddenly become more eager than before after learning the information he had provided.
Why?
Just because Cui Jin became the General of the Cavalry?
But what does this prove?
Wu Shuangren returned to Yi Prefecture City, found Guo Jiwang, and told him about his decision:
"Next, I will personally lead a group to Shu Province."