A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 1077 Rebellion
"Recently, those who have written to me have said that I go hunting too frequently."

In Beiyuan, outside the Xuanwu Gate, the emperor inspected the Yulin and Longwu Forbidden Army. He watched hundreds of cavalry and thousands of cavalry guards galloping and shooting arrows. He said bluntly to the summoned prime ministers, "There is nothing in the world now, but we must not forget about military preparations." . I often go hunting in the back garden with the people around me, and nothing bothers the people. What's the harm?"

Wei Zheng stood up,

He said bluntly, "The sage king is afraid that no one will talk about his faults. Since your majesty has asked ministers to speak in private, you should allow them to state their opinions freely. If their words are advisable, they will naturally be beneficial to the country. Even if they are not advisable, listen to them." There is no harm in listening.

As the saying goes, listening to both will lead to enlightenment, listening to one side will lead to harm.

Now there are many ministers who know everything, which is a great thing. Your Majesty should be happy and even reward them. "

Wu Huaiyu stood there and couldn't help but admire Wei Zheng's mouth. Anyway, he could tell a lot of truth from any angle, but he had the energy to ask, "Are you right if you put aside the facts?"

The emperor said that I hunted, which did not hinder the people, and it was a way to train soldiers and strengthen their military preparedness. However, Wei Zheng wanted to put aside the matter itself and said that it was a good thing for the ministers to remonstrate. As for remonstrance, why not It doesn't matter if the remonstrance is right or wrong.

It is estimated that if other emperors heard this, they would have sent Wei Zheng to Lingnan, but Li Shimin was a very kind emperor.
"You're right," Li Shimin said.

He actually issued a decree that each of those ministers who wrote a letter saying that he hunted too much would be given a belt.

Wu Xiang is an example. He once went to Zhenshuofang, Youyan and Lingnan. Everywhere he went, he used both suppression and pacification. He combined kindness and power. He was able to quickly pacify the place, then stabilize the people, and even bring peace to the local people. Become rich step by step,

Nowadays, there have been good harvests year after year, and more than ten stones of millet can be obtained from a piece of silk. However, the people are complaining because they feel that Your Majesty no longer cares about the people and spends more time repairing the palace and not taking care of the urgent affairs of the country.

Although it is indispensable to accumulate reserves, we must also allow the people to have some spare capacity and then collect taxes. We must not force accumulation, otherwise we will give it to the enemy.

In recent years, why have the Liao, Man, Rong and Di tribes repeatedly rebelled in remote areas, and why have they been unable to be completely suppressed and eliminated? I think it is precisely because the governors who guard the remote areas are all military men, who are not good at comforting the people, and some military governors even deliberately provoke border conflicts to create wars in order to win military merits.

Zhongshu ordered Ma Zhou to come forward.
"Your Majesty, in the early days of Zhenguan, the world was hungry and poor, and buckets of rice were tied to pieces of silk, but if the people did not complain, you know that your Majesty is worried and never forgets the past.

"Your Majesty, the stability of the people depends only on the governor and the county magistrate. If the people selected are good, then your majesty can be at ease and the people can live a stable life. But now the court only focuses on central officials and despises the selection of state and county officials. ,

Li Shimin was very satisfied with Ma Zhou's words, although some of them also stung him. For example, Ma Zhou said that when a bushel of rice and a bolt of silk were used, no one complained, but now a bolt of silk can buy more than a dozen stones of millet, but the people There were so many complaints that he found it difficult to understand.
Now it is much better than the days of the Wude Dynasty and the early days of Zhenguan. The barbarians surrendered, and there are no longer wars, chaos, or famines in the world. Why do the people still think he is not good? Is he pushing himself too far?
But the suggestions Ma Zhou gave are still very practical.

Xue Wanche's decree to be appointed as the governor of Puzhou was handed over to Zhongshu's subordinates according to the procedure. The purpose was to be discussed by the prime ministers, and then Zhongshu drafted the decree and his subordinates reviewed it.

"I heard that Your Majesty wants Xue Wanche to serve as the governor of Puzhou. I firmly object. Xue Wanche has a bad reputation. He is not in harmony with the generals in the army. He beats and scolds his subordinates whenever he dares to do so. Such a person can even be seen in the army. If he can't treat them well, how can we expect him to be kind to the people he governs?
Puzhou is one of the four auxiliary states of the Tang Dynasty. It is particularly important and must not be allowed to be caused by an arrogant and domineering general. "

And if you use the right people, you won't have this problem.

In particular, governors often use military personnel, or only when court officials are incompetent are they elected as local officials. In remote areas, employers are even more contemptuous, so the people are said to be unsettled, which is roughly the case.

The emperor frowned,

"Your Majesty, please tell me everything you want to know. I will tell you everything I want to know."

Taking advantage of today's opportunity, Ma Zhou stepped on Xue Wanche hard and did not approve of his appointment as the governor of Puzhou. The reason was also very good.

It is also well known that Xue Wanche has a bad reputation.

In the Sui Dynasty, the grain stored in the Luokou warehouse was used by Li Mi. The Eastern Capital accumulated cloth and silk, and Wang Shichong was able to use it. The military equipment of Jinyang Palace in the state was merged, and the treasury in Xijing was also owned by the Tang Dynasty.
It has been twenty years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and the grain, silk, weapons, etc. stored in the Sui Dynasty have not been used up.

"If there is anything else that King Bin has, please tell me." Li Shimin said.

If the people can have enough food and clothing, naturally no one will be rebellious, the place will be peaceful, and taxes will be paid steadily. This is something worthy of serious consideration. "

These words exalted Wu Huaiyu and severely trampled on Xue Wanche.
But there is some truth in what he said.
Wu Huaiyu is right here. He has served as prime minister four times in the court over the years and has also been stationed in several border areas, but his performance is obvious to all.

Your Majesty, since ancient times, the rise and fall of a country has not depended on the amount of savings, but on the happiness and suffering of the people.

In fact, it is not difficult for Your Majesty to achieve long-term peace and stability. As long as you are frugal and frugal so that the people can recuperate and keep wealth among the people, as you did in the early years of Zhenguan, you can achieve long-term peace in the world. "

But now if Ma Zhouruo doesn't agree, it will be difficult to issue this appointment.

"Your Majesty, I am also opposed to Xue Wanche being appointed as the governor of Puzhou. It is okay for him to lead the troops to fight and charge, but it is not appropriate to govern the local herdsmen.

Now that the world is at peace, it is better to practice martial arts and cultivate literature, and to govern the place should be left to civil officials rather than military generals." Wei Zheng stepped forward to add another blow.

A secretary orders a servant,
Both of them objected;

Even if the emperor issued an edict, it would not be passed and he would force the appointment. That would be Mo Chi Xianfeng. If the prime ministers are tougher,
Xue Wanche, the governor of Puzhou, was not recognized at all, which would cause trouble.

"I will consider Xue Wanche's appointment again." The emperor had no choice but to withdraw his decree.

"In the future, the appointment of governors will still be recommended by the prime ministers, and I will personally select them."

"In addition, the county magistrate, the capital official and above each recommend one person."

The emperor listened to a lot of pertinent suggestions today and was in a good mood, so he said in public, "Before Zhenguan, I was the one who ran the world, and my age was like a dim result." Since Zhenguan, the ropes have been corrected, which is also the contribution of Wei Zheng and Ma Zhou. There are also Huaiyu and Yaoshi who control the area. "

"Give all your ministers a sword."

"How does my governance compare with previous years?" the emperor asked the prime ministers seriously.

"I want to hear the truth, Huaiyu, you speak first."

Wu Huaiyu didn't like to tell the truth, but on this occasion, he could only tell the truth.

"Your Majesty's mighty power has spread in all directions, far beyond the beginning of Zhenguan."

"You don't have to say all good things." Li Shimin said bluntly, "Your Majesty, there are also shortcomings, and people's hearts are not as submissive as before."

Li Shimin was confused after hearing this, "The foreign barbarians from far away are afraid of authority and admire virtue, so they are convinced. If they are not as good as before, why are they here?"

Wu Huaiyu replied, "Your Majesty used to worry about the lack of treatment, so your virtue and justice are renewed day by day. Now you think that the rule is safe, so there will be no arrests."

"Oh, what's different about what I do now than before?"

"In the early days of Zhenguan, His Majesty was afraid that his ministers would not be able to give advice, so he often guided them to give advice. When they heard the advice, they were happy and listened to it. But it is not the case now. Although he reluctantly obeys, his face is troubled. This is the difference."

Li Shimin was not convinced, "Give me an example."

"Your Majesty once wanted to kill Lawyer Yuan. Sun Fujia thought that the law should not be killed. Your Majesty gave Princess Lanling's garden in the past one million. Some people said that the reward was too generous, but Your Majesty said that since I came to the throne, there has been no one to give advice, so I rewarded you. In short, this is guidance and admonishment.

Later, Sihu Liuxiong pretended to be an official granted by the Sui Dynasty. His Majesty wanted to kill him, but he accepted Dai Zhou's advice and gave up. He was pleased to do so.

Recently, Huangfu Deshen wrote a letter admonishing Luoyang Palace to be repaired, and His Majesty was angry and wanted to kill him. Although Wei Xianggong persuaded him to stop, he only reluctantly obeyed..."

"Another example is that Your Majesty wanted to appoint Xue Wanche as the governor of Puzhou. Although the Secretary ordered Ma Xianggong and Wei Xianggong to advise him, Your Majesty still did not accept the advice."

Li Shimin was silent for a long time,
He sighed, "People suffer from not knowing their ears."

"The appointment of Xue Wanche as the governor of Puzhou has been dismissed." The emperor waved his hand, "The prime ministers would like to discuss what position should be assigned to him?"

Wei Zheng said bluntly, "Xue Wanche is a fierce general, so it is best to lead the army, so he can stay in the Twelve Guards Office in Beijing. If there is a war, he will go to war according to Fu Ling's order."

The right servant Gao Shilian objected, "Xue Wanche was originally appointed as the general of Zuoyulin, and his brother Wan Jun was appointed as the general of Zuotunwei. It is actually very inappropriate for two brothers of this family to serve as generals in Beijing.

Since he was to be given another position this time, I thought that I could let Xue Wanche go to the border to guard one area for the governor. "

"Your Majesty, I have a suggestion. Qiu Xingze, the governor of Annan Protectorate and Jiaozhou, has been in office for several years. He has outstanding achievements in office and should be rewarded as usual.
Qiu Xingze could be called back to the court to succeed General Zuo Yulin, and Xue Wanche was sent to Jiaozhi to serve as the governor of Jiaozhou and the governor of Annan. "

It was Wu Huaiyu who said this.
Since Xue Wanche refused to accept the toast and was fined with wine, there was no need to be polite. If Xue Wanche didn't accept the olive branch he extended, then he would be kicked out of the capital to avoid threats.

Qiu Xingze, also called Qiu Shili, was Qiu Xinggong’s half-brother and the eldest son of Tan Guogong Qiu He. Wu Huaiyu took the daughters of Qiu Xinggong and Qiu Xingze as concubines. The Wu family had a good relationship with the Qiu family.
Qiu Xingze is in Annan and Wu Huaiyu is in Lingnan. The two of them work together quite happily. The Qiu family has been operating in Jiaozhi since Qiu Heshi. It has been operating for decades and has become deeply rooted there. In the next year, I caught up with Wu Huaiyu,
Taking advantage of the imperial government's development of Lingnan and maritime trade, the Qiu family also made a fortune in Jiaozhi. They farmed and enclosed land, planted sugar cane and cotton, dried salt and mined coal, mined copper and iron ore, cut down various types of wood, and even captured slaves. , sea trade,
To be honest, Qiu Xingze was very comfortable staying in Annan and did not miss Shu.

Li Shimin thought for a while,
He put forward his own candidates, "The governor of Youzhou, Cheng Yaojin, was transferred to the court and appointed as General Zuo Yulin. The governor of Annan, Qiu Xingze, was appointed as the governor of Youzhou.
Xue Wanche was appointed as the governor of Jiaozhou and the governor of Annan. "

Wu Huaiyu no longer objected. The official positions of Governor of Jiaozhou and Governor of Annan were higher than those of the governor of Puzhou. However, Lu Zushang would rather die than go to Jiaozhou and was actually beheaded by Li Shimin. In the eyes of most people, that place was the wilderness of Tiannan Cape. , not many people are willing to go.

But in this way,
Among the brothers of the Xue family, there are two guardians. Xue Wanshu is now the governor of Andong, the governor of Yingzhou, and the governor. Xue Wanjun is also the governor of Jiaozhou and the governor of Annan.
In addition, Xue Wanjun is the general of Zuotunwei.
The Xue brothers are still a great threat.

But you can only figure it out slowly, don't do it too hastily.

However, it was good news that Lao Cheng came back from Youzhou and was appointed General Zuo Yulin. Qiu Xingze failed to return to Beijing and went to Youzhou as governor, which was not entirely a bad thing.

Just when everyone thought today's Beiyuan conversation was coming to an end,

Li Daliang stood up again and said, "Your Majesty, the Yushitai received a report from someone who reported that Zhang Liang, Duke of Yun State, the Governor of Xiangzhou, had adopted 500 adopted sons privately with the intention of treason.

Others reported that Zhang Liang was fond of witchcraft and heresy, and he befriended the wizards Cheng Gongying and Gongsun Chang.

The warlock Gongsun Chang told Zhang Liang that he saw Zhang Liang's name in the prophecy, and the leader of the bow was the other capital. Zhang Liang therefore thought that Xiangzhou was Yecheng, the old capital of the Northern Dynasty, and the bow leader was Zhang, so he became disloyal. .

Cheng Gongying said that Zhang Liang, lying in the shape of a dragon, would definitely become rich.

Zhang Liang had scabies on his arms. Zhang Liang asked Cheng Gongying if he had dragon scales on his arms, would he be able to succeed if he tried to cause trouble?

Another magician, Gongsun Chang, told Zhang Liang's concubine Li that she could become a princess..."

I have raised five hundred adopted sons, the leader of the bow is the other capital, my concubine has the fate of Wang Ji, my arms are born with dragon scales, my heart is rebellious...
One after another, one after another, more ruthless than the last.

Wu Huaiyu listened calmly, but he knew in his heart that it was probably Changsun Guojiu who took action. Changsun Guojiu was really cruel.
Li Yifu just wanted to start some scandal, and then take the opportunity to bring up the issue of the five hundred adopted sons, making Zhang Liang panic and force him to reconcile.

But as soon as Changsun Wuji took action, he wanted to kill Zhang Liang.

Moreover, Wu Huaiyu believed that Zhangsun Wuji would not make such a low-level mistake and frame someone else.
The leader of this piece is the other capital. If you ask the magician, if his arms are covered with dragon scales, if your concubine is destined to be a royal concubine, there must be something like that.
I don’t know how Changsun Wuji found out about this kind of thing, but now that he has mastered it, once he throws it out, it will be Wang Zha.

Zhang Liang will have to shed his skin this time even if he doesn't die.

Of course, he believed that if it was just these, Zhang Liang might not be killed, but Changsun Wuji definitely had a back-up plan.

That fatal move was probably to reveal to the emperor at a critical moment that Zhang Liang secretly supported the king of Wei. This was the real thing that touched the emperor's bottom line.

In short, Changsun Guojiu is indeed an old yinbi. He has many dirty tricks, one after another.

Wu Huaiyu actually didn't think about killing Zhang Liang directly. It would be best if he could show off his methods and Zhang Liang would give in. It would be best to leave Hou Junji.
However, he couldn't control Changsun Guojiu's move.

We can only look at Zhang Liang’s luck this time.

The emperor over there frowned when he heard the bombshell news from the imperial censor Li Daliang.
Is Zhang Liang planning to rebel?
Although it sounds incredible, since Li Daliang dares to say this, there is a lot of evidence.

"Check, investigate this matter thoroughly,"

After the emperor finished speaking, he threw up his sleeves with a dark face and left.

(End of this chapter)