Chapter 8: Living Off Past Glories

The guards at the Ministry of War were the same men Pei Min had encountered during the military examinations. Feeling rather sheepish about the previous misunderstanding, they greeted him with enthusiastic warmth. "Young Master Pei, here to report for duty today? There won't be any mistakes this time, will there?"

Pei Min nodded with a smile. "Everything is clear this time. No mistakes. Please, lead the way!"

Seeing that this youth—hailed as a prodigy of both literary and martial arts—was spirited yet entirely free of arrogance, the guards felt a surge of goodwill. One of them personally led the way: "I shall take you to the Department of Records first to report, and then I will escort you to pay your respects to the Minister, the Vice Ministers, and the various Directors."

"I am much obliged!" Pei Min replied with a polite smile.

The Department of Records was responsible for managing maps of the various provinces, as well as the assessment of merit, performance reviews, rewards, punishments, pensions, and the inspection and testing of military personnel.

It was also at the Department of Records that Pei Min would receive his official post token and uniform. The reason he had bypassed this office during his previous visit to see Guo Yuanzhen was simply because Guo had left instructions for Pei Min to meet with him first.

The officials at the Department of Records were extremely courteous to Pei Min, bordering on sycophantic. Pei Min’s reputation was currently soaring, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, his future was bright. In the official world, popularity was always the top priority.

The reporting process was swift. Before long, Pei Min held the token representing his new status: a palm-sized bronze plate. On one side, his title, "Director of the Bureau of Provisions," was engraved; on the other, his name, Pei Min, alongside the special seal of the Secretariat. With this token, he would no longer face the strict scrutiny he had encountered at the imperial city gates or the Ministry of War.

As he prepared to establish himself within the Ministry of War, Pei Min had already familiarized himself with its structure. As one of the Six Ministries, it comprised a Minister, two Vice Ministers, four Directors, eight Vice-Directors, eleven Registrars, thirty-seven Clerks, sixty Scribes, and others, totaling nearly two hundred officials. They were divided into four sections: the Ministry of Personnel (Xia Guan), the Bureau of Provisions, the Department of Records, and the Department of Carriages. The Ministry of Personnel served as the core of the Ministry of War, with the other three sections playing secondary roles.

The Bureau of Provisions functioned somewhat like a logistics department, overseeing the weapons and ceremonial regalia of the Great Tang and its prefectures. It also handled banquet arrangements for the Winter Solstice and New Year, the banners for ancestral rites and funerals, the maintenance of weapons in local regions, and the administrative minutiae of verifying the merits of local officials.

Pei Min was quite satisfied with this position. At the very least, it was a substantive role, not a mere clerical position. However, he did feel a tinge of regret at not being assigned to the Ministry of Personnel. But he understood why: as the core of the Ministry, it handled critical military strategy and the deployment of border troops. Once one entered the Ministry of Personnel, it would not be easy to leave.

In Pei Min’s mind, the Ministry of War was ultimately a place to build his resume. Only by joining Xue Ne in future military campaigns would he truly rise to prominence.

It was an unwritten rule for a new official to pay respects to his colleagues, facilitating mutual understanding and future cooperation, and Pei Min followed suit.

The first stop was, naturally, the head of the Ministry: Guo Yuanzhen.

"Junior Pei Min pays his respects to Minister Guo!" Pei Min bowed.

"No need for such formalities! Come, I have some matters to attend to; wait for a moment, and I will speak with you in detail. As for paying respects to your colleagues, there is no rush—tomorrow or the day after will suffice." After his late-night talk with Xue Ne the previous day, Guo Yuanzhen’s attitude toward Pei Min had shifted significantly. He no longer saw him as a junior needing guidance, but as a man of extraordinary vision.

Assuming this concerned the military examinations, Pei Min took a seat nearby.

Guo Yuanzhen paid him no mind, focusing on the documents in his hand. He was currently preoccupied with an urgent matter: Liaodong and Liaoxi had long been occupied by the Xi and Khitan tribes. The land was now barren, the population sparse, and the environment harsh. The garrison troops were complaining, unwilling to remain in the borderlands, and had petitioned for reassignment. Having only recently reclaimed these regions, the situation was vital to the stability of the Northeast—especially since the Tang’s future focus lay in the West. He had to ensure a stable environment so the empire would not be spread too thin. The current quality of the Tang troops was low, and the caliber of the officers was uneven; the arrangements required careful deliberation.

Glancing at Pei Min, he suddenly asked: "Liaodong and Liaoxi have only recently been reclaimed, and the court intends to send officials to garrison them. What is your view on this?"

Pei Min looked at Guo Yuanzhen in surprise, pondered for a moment, and said, "I believe it would be best to send a conservative official skilled in pacification. Our military is currently weak, and the Northeast is destitute. Reckless deployment of a large army would not only exhaust the people and drain our wealth, but the gains would not justify the costs. Excessive aggression would be counterproductive. It is better to entice the Xi and Khitan to submit and develop steadily, maintaining a temporary peace. They are nomadic peoples, and their rise will not be easy. Conversely, the Tang is different. Our economy is developing steadily. As long as our military catches up and we promote capable young talents, we can return to the glory of the Taizong and Gaozong eras soon. Once our military is strong and our granaries are full, we can find a pretext to settle the score once and for all."

Hearing the first half, Guo Yuanzhen nodded in agreement: their thoughts aligned, both favoring a conservative approach. But hearing the latter half, he was taken aback. He had not expected such a young man to harbor such lethal intent, far beyond the ordinary.

How could Guo Yuanzhen know that while the Central Plains were progressing, so too were the foreign tribes—and at a speed no slower than their own.

Before the Tang, these tribes were mostly border threats; the "Five Barbarians" upheaval had only succeeded by exploiting the chaos of the Western Jin. But after the Tang, these tribes would rise and eventually topple the Central Plains dynasties twice. Therefore, in Pei Min's eyes, one could never show mercy to those who feigned submission, lest they become a disaster for future generations.

Guo Yuanzhen, already inclined toward conservatism, found his mind in sync with Pei Min’s. He finalized his choice and set the documents aside, intending to submit them to the Secretariat for the Emperor and the Prime Minister to draft.

"I have been friends with Brother Xue for many years; strictly speaking, I am your elder. I trust his judgment, so I will not mince words. You... what is your view on the current political situation?"

Pei Min had expected the conversation to revolve around the military examinations; he was stunned by this question about the court. He could not fathom Guo Yuanzhen’s intent.

Noticing his hesitation, Guo Yuanzhen smiled. "Do not be nervous. What we say today is known only to us. I can swear it will go no further. If you have concerns, I shall speak first."

"Since the abdication of Empress Wu, our Tang has been in turmoil for nine years, and the court remains unstable. Our military is weak, and our politics rely entirely on the foundations left by the Empress and Lord Di. If we do not stabilize the court soon, once the political structure collapses, the world will descend into chaos."

Seeing that Guo Yuanzhen had laid his cards on the table, Pei Min no longer hid his thoughts. He nodded and said, "My views are the same as yours, Minister."