Chapter 29: The Worthy Scholar
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An emperor’s confidence ultimately came from his control of the court and the strength of his country.
As long as the state was powerful, whatever he said would find willing ears. Those who refused could simply be dragged before him; after listening to him lecture them face-to-face, they would still have to kneel and admit that he was right.
Gao Yin wanted to bask in Gao Yang’s reflected glory. While the Turks were still shaken with fear, he intended to build a good relationship with them as quickly as possible.
A marriage alliance would be best. It would further strengthen his position in Qi. No matter how contemptuously the Xianbei nobles treated the Han Chinese, they would still have to consider the Turks’ power carefully.
Gao Yin’s proposal also prompted Gao Yang to reconsider traditional military thinking, refine the logic of feudal rule, strengthen the Gao clan’s understanding of marriage alliances, incorporate the military structure of Jinyang, lay out a new defensive system for the north, and open up a new, swift route to supremacy.
In short, he had finally realized that Gao Yin’s idea was genuinely excellent.
“Come here!”
Even Gao Yang’s expression of affection differed from that of ordinary men. He made Gao Yin sit on his lap.
Gao Yin sat with great care, afraid that the slightest movement might hurt Gao Yang.
Gao Yang was not yet so frail. He seized Gao Yin and began pouring wine down his throat.
“Drink! Drink more! A man who never drinks has wasted his journey through this world!”
Gao Yin choked and coughed repeatedly. Seeing this, Gao Yang burst into laughter, lifted him up, and tossed him about like a baby, shaking and flinging him in every direction. Only after playing with him for quite some time did he set him down.
Once he was alone, he unconsciously kneaded the muscles in his arms and sighed at how haggard he had become.
I really ought to give up drinking.
The thought had only just arisen when Gao Yang cast it aside. He shouted, “Guards!”
A great mass of black-clad soldiers streamed into the hall and soon filled it completely. Their garments brushed against one another, and their expressions made them seem like brothers born to different parents. They were so silent that it felt as though only one man was breathing.
A large hand descended over Gao Yin’s head. At that moment, a father’s tenderness and an emperor’s majesty appeared together in Gao Yang, making him, in the truest sense of the word, Gao Yin’s imperial father.
“This is my Crown Prince.”
As though responding to some mysterious command, the palace guards followed E Yongle’s movement and knelt in perfect unison. Gao Yin could now see their helmets.
“This man is Chimentuoluo. He is exceptionally brave and once fought two Rouran dogs with his bare hands. This one is Hegafali. He has a tremendous voice and is very fond of drinking. And this is Dieyun Tuyan. He is an excellent horseman, though his archery is not as good as mine. And this one…”
Gao Yang pointed casually from one man to another. Whoever he indicated would have the tassel on his helmet tremble faintly. As his enthusiasm grew, Gao Yang would take Gao Yin over to the man, order him to stand, and let Gao Yin see his face.
These palace guards had been tempered through countless trials. No emotion showed on their faces, yet the fervent light in their eyes revealed their adoration of Gao Yang.
At last, Gao Yang returned to the front and ordered E Yongle to rise.
“You have met him before—the General of the Martial Guard, E Yongle. His courage and strength are unmatched, and he has saved my life twice. Raise your head and let the Crown Prince see your face.”
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E Yongle raised his head. His expression was half a smile, half something else. He seemed somewhat shy, and soon lowered his gaze again.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
A strange atmosphere swept over Gao Yin. He was clearly the one looking at E Yongle, yet he felt as though everyone had seen him and come to know him. The aura formed by the palace guards was as fierce and bitterly cold as a typhoon. In that instant, however, it absorbed him, as though he had been drawn into the eye of the storm. No matter how violently the winds raged beyond it, he remained in a peaceful center.
Since arriving in this world, this was the first time he had felt warm and secure. Gao Yang had opened the realm of the emperor to him, allowing Gao Yin to glimpse, however faintly, a corner of imperial power.
With a single command, these fierce warriors could kill for him—even take their own lives. No political creature could resist such overwhelming temptation.
Gao Yin was no exception.
“That will do. You have had a tiring day. Go back and rest early.”
Gao Yang yawned. In truth, it was he who was tired.
“Find a suitable day, and your mother and I will have a proper discussion with you about your marriage.”
Gao Yin bowed and offered a few auspicious words. Only after Gao Yang had departed did his attendants appear and escort him back to the Eastern Palace.
The next day, Gao Yin arrived at the Grand Commandant’s Office. Ji Ye and Li Wensi had already been waiting there.
As soon as he had awoken that morning, he had sent for the two men and summoned them to the office.
Ji Ye was the Magistrate of Linzhang. Linzhang was in fact Yecheng, but the name had been changed to avoid using the personal name of Emperor Min of Jin, Sima Ye. The magistrate was the official responsible for governing a county. A county with more than ten thousand households was a large county, whose chief was called a magistrate; one with fewer than ten thousand households was a small county, whose chief was called a county head. Thus, the Magistrate of Linzhang was essentially the magistrate of Ye County.
Li Wensi, meanwhile, was a Palace Secretary, an official attached to the emperor, empress, princes, and princesses. Both men were trusted ministers of considerable ability, yet Gao Yang had dismissed them in a single stroke and bestowed them upon his subjects as slaves.
After learning of this, Gao Yin had summoned them to the Grand Commandant’s Office to serve as his record-keepers. It would allow them to lie low for a while, while also earning him two more favors.
In less than a day, Gao Rui had compiled a list. Some of the names on it were legendary to Gao Yin.
Among them was Chen Kang, a scholar from Luoyang. In the future, he would have a grandson known throughout the world: Chen Yi, whose religious name would be Xuanzang, also known as the Tripitaka Master.
“I want this man.”
Gao Yin took up his brush and drew a circle around the man’s name before continuing down the list.
Wei Chi Mengdu, a Military Adviser in the Water Conservancy Office, and Qin Fangtai, a Palace General—each would later have a famous grandson, Wei Chi Gong and Qin Qiong.
Wu Juchang, Chief Commander of the Vanguard, would be the great-grandfather of Wu Zetian.
Fang Xiong, Governor of Qinghe, had served as a secretary in his native Qi Commandery and administered the affairs of Qinghe and Guangchuan Commanderies. In the future, he would have a grandson named Fang Xuanling.
Gao Rui had clearly put considerable thought into the list. Every man on it was an outstanding figure of Qi’s present age. Gao Yin could not help sighing. If one set aside the hidden currents beneath the surface, being Crown Prince was truly a wonderful position. The ancestors of future worthies and renowned generals had their careers resting beneath his brush, waiting for his favor.
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“Come to think of it, the children of Duke Jinghui must be twelve by now, mustn’t they?” Gao Yin asked casually after finishing the list.
Duke Jinghui was Murong Shaozong, a descendant of Murong Ke, the Prince of Taiyuan of Former Yan. Tall, bold, and extraordinarily capable, he had been the great general Gao Huan left to Gao Cheng. He had once defeated Hou Jing and forced him to flee to Liang, but later drowned because he could not swim.
Upon hearing this, Gao Rui pondered before saying, “I have heard that Duke Jinghui had two sons. The elder is Shisu, and the younger is Sanzang. Both are clever, fond of martial pursuits, and much like their father. In a few years, they should both be ready to enter official service. Has Your Highness taken an interest in them?”
Gao Yin nodded and told Gao Rui to investigate the two brothers’ accomplishments. If they proved worthy, he was to recruit them.
After thinking for a moment, he said to Gao Rui, “The Grand Tutor of Wei has a kinsman of the same generation named Chang Xian. Do you know of him, Uncle?”
Gao Rui considered this and replied, “There is indeed such a man. I hear that he has read widely in the classics and histories and writes with remarkable elegance. When our Great Qi was founded, he entered the household of the Prince of Pingyang. Does Your Highness wish to summon him into service? If so, I can ask the Prince of Pingyang.”
Again it was Gao Yan, the Prince of Pingyang. Even the matter of the Grand Commandant of the Capital Region was connected with him. Still, that was not necessarily a bad thing. They would have to deal with each other sooner or later, so why not begin today?
“Then I shall trouble you, Uncle.”
“It is no trouble. Anyone Your Highness has taken an interest in must be a worthy scholar. Being summoned into our service can hardly be considered burying his talents. The Prince of Pingyang will surely agree with pleasure.”
The polite remark was not obsequious, yet it sounded pleasant to hear. Gao Yin circled several more names on the list and handed it to Gao Rui.
“That should be all. Please also keep an eye on the construction of the Wenlin Institute. I will send someone to oversee it as well.”
Gao Rui accepted the order and departed. Gao Yin remained seated for a while before leaving the Grand Commandant’s Office and heading for its military encampment.
When the Grand Commandant’s Office had been established, Gao Yang had granted it several units of the central army. Otherwise, Gao Yin’s position as Grand Commandant would have left him little more than a commander without troops.
Under the old Wei system, the central army was known as the Central Corps or the Imperial Army. It was the main force of the Wei state, much like the Feathered Forest Guard of the Han dynasty. In nature, it was the emperor’s palace guard. If these troops were wiped out, Great Wei would be finished as well.
Qi had inherited this system. The central army of Great Qi consisted entirely of Xianbei soldiers, numbering between two and three hundred thousand. Its principal commanders were the General of the Imperial Army and the Grand Commandant of the Capital Region.
The former was responsible for guarding the emperor and protecting the palace. The latter was stationed in the capital and defended the imperial city. Together, they constituted the main military strength of Qi.
In the original course of history, Prince Langya Gao Yan had held both offices at the same time, giving him the resources necessary to stage a coup. After his failure, the Later Lord Gao Wei abolished the position of Grand Commandant of the Capital Region, removing its threat to imperial authority. Yet this also weakened the combat power of Qi’s palace guards, making it easier for the Zhou army to destroy Qi.
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