On this day during the early morning court assembly, the civil and military officials took their places according to their ranks, with civil officials on the east and military officials on the west.
An Sheng, wearing a cold expression just as he had in the previous days, stood on the western side of the second row. The first row was occupied by the Chief Grand Secretary and several senior cabinet ministers.
The rules and worldly wisdom behind these standing positions were highly complex; everyone knew exactly where they and others belonged.
Now that the Inner Depot was operating in full swing, even though An Sheng only held a third-grade official rank, he enjoyed the Emperor's heavy reliance. Naturally, the others dared to feel angry but not to speak out about his standing position.
The most contentious issue in today's morning court was the northern war. With ample rations and pay, the soldiers had fought back vigorously, capturing three of the neighboring country's cities in one fell swoop. As a result, the enemy state had just submitted a letter proposing peace talks.
The Emperor was greatly pleased. In the great hall, he asked the ministers for their opinions on the next steps.
The military officials were unanimous in their view. Naturally, they advocated pressing the advantage. Their stance could be summed up in one word: fight!
The civil officials, however, were divided. Some supported continuing the war, but the majority favored peace talks, prioritizing the immediate acquisition of tangible benefits.
The Minister of Revenue, the most fervent supporter of peace, once again shed tears in the grand hall. He strained his voice and shouted, You make it sound so simple! Do you have any idea how much national power and resources are consumed by the preparation of war materials, the conscription of troops, the allocation of finances, and the securing of provisions? Even though our great nation has nothing to fear, you aren't the ones doing the actual work, so stop flapping your lips!
With that, he dropped to his knees before the Emperor, crying with snot and tears, Your Majesty, this old subject is not trying to boost the enemy's morale while dampening our own. It is just that if we do not quit while we are ahead, continuing this in the long run will bring no benefit to the state!
At this point, a military official interjected, Hmph, how petty! If we just tighten our belts and expand our territories in one go, we will bless countless future generations. In the long run, how could that be of no benefit to the state!
This made the officials from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works unable to sit still. Pointing fingers, they scolded:
A bunch of reckless brutes, speaking utter nonsense!
Exactly! And what happens after we expand the territory? Is your Ministry of War going to manage and develop it? Right now, just the reconstruction after the southern floods has exhausted our efforts. Where would the imperial court find the energy to develop those barren northern lands!
Hey! You can't put it like that...
...
The Emperor's head ached from all the arguing.
His originally excellent mood was completely swept away!
An Sheng quietly observed the Emperor's expression. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he immediately raised his voice and called out, Your Majesty, this subject has a memorial to present.
The high-pitched and peculiar voice, unique to eunuchs, instantly silenced the great hall.
Speak.
An Sheng cleared his throat. This great military victory has boosted our national prestige, which is truly a blessing. The lords all make reasonable points; everything is for the good of the state, and there is no absolute right or wrong among them. By Your Majesty's vast grace, this humble official has earned your trust. Now that the Inner Depot is operating normally, this subject has an idea, though I do not know if it is feasible.
The Emperor spoke, Tell me.
An Sheng said, The Inner Depot monitors the officials, and it can also monitor enemy states. This humble official proposes establishing branch offices of the Inner Depot in border towns located at strategic passes. They would focus on gathering intelligence and information from all sides, compiling and reporting it to the imperial court every seven days. By then, everything will be firmly within the grasp of Your Majesty and the court.
As soon as An Sheng said this, the entire hall plunged into silence once more.
This...
The Emperor slightly raised his eyelids, then lowered his gaze, remaining completely silent.
The senior cabinet ministers in the first row wore solemn expressions, and the officials behind them looked at each other in dismay.
Suddenly, a robust and furious shout pierced through from the middle of the military officials' ranks on the west.
You with the surname An, you are overreaching too... Before the rest of the sentence could leave his mouth, he was gagged by a familiar official standing next to him.
With someone breaking the ice, the great hall instantly became lively again as the officials began to mutter and argue noisily.
Intelligence agencies were of the utmost importance to the nation. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice both had dedicated personnel for this. Now, this Commander An wanted to stick his foot in. This was not just about monitoring various regions; it clearly showed a lack of trust in the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War. Such power struggles and purges of dissidents were all too common in officialdom.
If the Emperor agreed, the power of the Inner Depot would truly become far too great.
Finally, the Second Prince, who had been silent all along, spoke up.
He took a step forward.
Imperial Father, your son believes Lord An's idea is feasible. As the Inner Depot exercises the duty of surveillance, this is exactly how it should be.
The air froze for a moment. The senior cabinet ministers in the first row finally changed their expressions, their eyes involuntarily turning toward Chief Grand Secretary Tan at the head of the line.
Chief Grand Secretary Tan was already in his sixties and had served as the head of the cabinet for over a decade. He stood there calm and composed, completely undisturbed by the surrounding clamor. Finally, he raised his eyes to look at the Emperor, then slowly bowed his body: This old subject also agrees with what the Second Prince has said.
...
The morning court ended. After the Emperor departed, the officials walked out toward the palace gates in twos and threes.
Cui Gudao, with a stern expression, supported the elderly Minister of Justice, Lord Zhuang, as they walked at the very back.
Lord Zhuang sighed as he walked. Alas, I don't know what His Majesty is thinking, to place such heavy trust in this eunuch! In the previous dynasty, eunuchs held sway and corrupted the court, leading to national instability and a change of dynasties. How can His Majesty feel at ease handing him such immense power now?
Cui Gudao remained silent, his expression equally unpleasant.
Lord Zhuang glanced at his successor and asked, Last time you handled an assignment together with this Eunuch An. Tell me, how does this man conduct himself?
Cui Gudao pondered for a moment. Recalling the many times he had been infuriated when they worked together, he narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. This man is narrow-minded, ruthless in his actions, and corrupt. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Changing the subject, Cui Gudao added, However, he has a wife who is quite young. From what this humble official saw, he treats his wife rather well.
A wife? Lord Zhuang was taken aback and stopped in his tracks. But then, thinking about how most powerful eunuchs would take wives and concubines, it was no longer surprising.
Lord Zhuang mused, sounding surprised, He can actually treat a woman well? I never expected this Eunuch An to be fond of women.
With that, Lord Zhuang patted Cui Gudao on the shoulder and said meaningfully, I am getting old, and the burden of our Ministry of Justice will soon fall on your shoulders. You are highly capable, but capability is only one part of being an official. In the future, you cannot be as inflexible as before. You need to be more agile in your thinking.
Cui Gudao lowered his head as if receiving instruction.
Lord Zhuang looked up at the palace gates not far away, his eyes flickering as he began to walk again.
Pass down the order to gather intelligence on his wife and all matters concerning the An residence. Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles. Now that the Inner Depot is making a huge impact on our departments, our Ministry of Justice must act with caution. In the future, if you encounter people from the Inner Depot, avoid them if you can. Do not clash with them directly, and do not let them catch any vulnerabilities to use against us.
Yes, sir!
