stonecrandall Chapter 949 You underestimated Wu She, this guy is very cunning!
Chapter 949 You underestimated Wu She, this guy is very cunning!
Gao Yao's tone, with these last words, was clearly impatient and forceful. Wu She keenly discerned the underlying meaning—though Gao Yao's expression had been grim earlier, his tone had remained calm. Now, however, he betrayed the king's unwavering will. Wu She wanted to be a loyal and distinguished minister, but he was by no means foolish, and certainly not one to die needlessly. He knew this was the king's greatest concession and the clearest directive. To object would be to court his own demise.
He immediately put aside all his doubts and responded respectfully, "Yes! I... obey your order. I will do my utmost to see this through!"
"Also," Gao Yao stopped dwelling on the imperial examinations and turned the conversation to more pressing matters of government, "the arrangements for the various ministries, the overhaul of the civil service, and the selection of chief officials for each county must all be finalized and clarified as soon as possible. This is the beginning of a new dynasty, and there's much to be done. This matter can't be delayed! Xiao He, you'll be in overall charge of this matter. You must resolve it within two months. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" Xiao He immediately accepted the order in a firm and powerful voice.
"Yes!" All the ministers in the hall responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.
With Gao Yao's series of clear orders, the stagnant atmosphere in the court finally eased, and the atmosphere regained its vitality. Seeing this, Gao Yao waved his hand with a slightly weary look, signaling the ministers to withdraw. After everyone saluted, they filed out one by one. Only when Gao Yao's eyes swept over Xiao Heshi did he pause slightly and nodded imperceptibly.
Xiao He understood and remained in the palace in silence. Clearly, the king had more private and important instructions to discuss with him, the prime minister, regarding the selection of county governors, the appointment of officials, and the broader balance of power. The controversy over the imperial examinations and power seemed to have subsided, but its ripples were only just beginning to spread.
As the sound of the ministers' footsteps faded, finally disappearing at the end of the deep corridor of Weiyang Palace, the muffled echo of the heavy palace doors slowly closing brought a temporary pause to this turbulent court meeting. Within the hall, Gao Yao and Xiao He were the only two left. The previous bustle and invisible pressure seemed to have vanished in an instant, replaced by a more intimate atmosphere that also tested one's wits and loyalty.
Xiao He, the head of the officials, did not relax in the slightest as the crowd left. He almost immediately lost the composure he had displayed in front of everyone and made an unexpected move. He straightened his clothes, faced the throne, and once again knelt deeply, head bowed, his posture extremely humble, as if he was waiting for his punishment.
This kneeling was different from the previous plea for Wu She. It was less urgent and more of a heartfelt apology. Gao Yao, seated on the throne, took in the entire scene and was startled. Then, a faint smile curved his lips. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the imperial desk, and asked with a playful, yet inquiring tone:
"Xiao He, what's wrong? Do you like kneeling? Kneeling once just now wasn't enough. Now that everyone has left, you want to do it again? Do you think the gold bricks in this hall of mine are particularly comfortable?"
Xiao He didn't rise at Gao Yao's teasing. His voice remained steady, yet it was filled with a clear sense of self-reflection. "Your Majesty, it's not that I enjoy kneeling. Rather, I am guilty. I failed to grasp Your Majesty's intentions immediately. When Wu She spoke out, I was slow to react and failed to provide a way out for Your Majesty. This left Your Majesty bearing the burden alone, putting You in a dilemma. This is due to my negligence and dereliction of duty. I implore Your Majesty to punish me!"
His words were spoken with unparalleled sincerity, directly pointing to the core of the problem: his own failure to understand his master's intentions. This wasn't simply hypocrisy, but rather a manifestation of a deep understanding of the art of serving the sovereign.
In Xiao He's view, as Chief Regent, his responsibilities extended beyond simply handling government affairs. He also had to keenly grasp the emperor's true thoughts and emotional needs at critical moments, proactively stepping in as a minister to assist the emperor in completing tasks he was unable to personally perform—for example, acting as the "villain" when authority was needed, or as a peacemaker when a situation needed to be resolved. Today, he felt he had reacted a fraction too slowly, allowing Gao Yao to bear the full brunt of Wu She's words. This, in itself, was a dereliction of duty.
Gao Yao's smile widened as he listened to Xiao He's flattering words. He waved his hand, his tone casual and knowing, "Come on, come on, stop trying to play tricks on me. Get up. There's no one else here, so there's no need to be so formal and apologize."
"Yes!" Xiao He replied, his movements incredibly smooth. He immediately stood up from the ground, brushed off the nonexistent dust from his official robes, and regained his usual composure. The whole process was crisp and smooth, as if the solemn apology he had just made was truly just a necessary formality, completed and over.
This almost "face-changing" scene left Gao Yao speechless. He couldn't help but curse in his heart: "This Xiao He is really a cunning guy!" He knew that Xiao He's apology was sincere, but this sincerity was based on a thorough understanding of his king's temperament.
Xiao He was certain that he would not be truly blamed for such a minor incident, so he apologized first, which not only made his position clear and demonstrated his loyalty, but also did not worry about attracting real punishment. This precise balancing act was the key to Xiao He's ability to remain firmly in power.
The atmosphere in the hall relaxed. Gao Yao stopped beating around the bush and got straight to the point, which was the core reason he'd left Xiao He alone. His smile faded, his gaze deepened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Xiao He, what do you think of my arrangement of having Wu She join the cabinet and concurrently serve as the Minister of Personnel? Tell me what you really think."
This was a crucial question concerning the power structure and future direction of the court. Gao Yao's explanation followed. According to established rules, the six ministries should be headed by a Shangshu, overseeing all their affairs. However, with the new dynasty just established and the six ministries structure newly established, the selection of candidates for many positions was still under consideration and observation.
If someone were directly promoted to the position of Shangshu at this point, subsequent adjustments would be extremely difficult if it were discovered that they were incompetent or did not meet the requirements of the position. After all, the Shangshu of the Six Ministries was the highest-ranking official, second only to cabinet members. In this position, a lateral transfer was almost impossible without serious misconduct, and demotion would cause a huge political shock and undermine official morale.
The position of Vice Minister, however, was different. It held a high position in the Ministry, wielding real power, yet not yet reaching the pinnacle of officialdom, leaving ample room for advancement and retreat. If Wu She performed well as Vice Minister of Personnel, he could naturally be promoted to a full-time position or transferred to a more senior position. If his performance was mediocre, or even if he made mistakes, adjustments were more flexible, allowing for lateral transfers to other departments or reassignment to a higher-ranking position.