Chapter 197: Prosperous Chang’an
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“Your Highness, Cui Hao holds the position of Guanglu Dafu in the court. He is responsible for advising and responding to imperial commands but does not have a fixed official duty,” said Pang Yukun.
Having worked in the official circles of Chang’an, he knew Cui Hao very well.
“Also, this Cui Hao comes from the Cui family and has always been close with Prince Yan. He is also a renowned Confucian scholar, highly respected in the court, and has founded the Zhengdong Academy in Chang’an where he gives lectures. Many officials in the Great Yu court have attended his lectures.”
Zhan Xingchang nodded, “The reason Cui Hao became the leader of the peace faction is because of the support from many officials who studied at Zhengdong Academy. These officials follow him closely and have considerable influence in the court.”
“So, you’re saying Cui Hao is forming a faction for his own benefit?” Xiao Ming asked.
“Exactly. These officials, along with Cui Hao, are privately referred to as the Zhengdong Faction,” said Pang Yukun.
“Then why does Father Emperor…”
Xiao Ming originally wanted to ask why Emperor Xiao Wenxuan didn’t crack down on Cui Hao and his Zhengdong Faction, but after a bit of thought, he understood—this was the typical strategy of emperors throughout history.
When the emperor wants to go to war with the barbarians, he needs the pro-war faction to suppress the peace faction. When he wants peace, he uses the peace faction to suppress the pro-war faction.
This way, the emperor can manage them with ease and won’t be controlled by any one side.