Tibet.

Chapter 1318: Changes in Nanzhao
More than twenty days had passed since Li Ye ascended the throne, and the government had been functioning normally. The structure, system, and personnel had not changed. Only some titles and document formats had changed, which had little impact on the court.

That morning, Privy Councilor Duan Xueshi hurried to Wensiyuan. When he entered Wensiyuan, he saw the Tongshi Sheren Wei Gao. Wei Gao hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, "Greetings to the Privy Councilor!"

Duan Xiushi asked, "Is your Majesty free now?"

"Reporting to the Privy Councilor, Your Majesty is currently discussing the imperial examination with the left and right prime ministers and Minister Pei."

Duan Xiu thought anxiously and said, "Please tell His Majesty that I have an urgent matter to discuss with you!"

"Privy Councillor, please wait a moment. I will report this right away!"

Wei Gao hurried into the imperial study.

At this time, Li Ye was discussing this year's imperial examination with Wei Jiansu, Zhang Li and Pei Zunqing.

Li Ye pondered for a long time and said, "Although the number of students enrolled in mathematics has increased significantly in the past two years, the foundation is still too weak. We still need to increase the number of students admitted this year. Now we are training technical officials on the one hand, and training teachers on the other hand, to create conditions for the establishment of mathematics courses in official schools in various states in the future."

Wei Jiansu said, "Your Majesty, there is a bad phenomenon now. Because the math requirements are low and it is easy to be admitted, many people take this shortcut. After being admitted, they honestly work as technical officers for a few years, and then find ways to ask someone to transfer them to local officials. Although it is only an occasional phenomenon now, it is indeed a loophole. We must plug this loophole in advance."

Li Ye looked at Zhang Li and said with a smile: "Prime Minister Zhang is good at patching up leaks. Do you have any good ideas?"

Zhang Li also smiled and said, "Your Majesty, there is a way. It is to make those who try to take advantage of the loophole feel that it is not worthwhile, so that they will naturally give up this idea?"

"Tell me more specifically!"

Zhang Li bowed and said, "In fact, the most ruthless move is to create a separate official system for technical officers. It is difficult for those who are not particularly outstanding to cross the system, just like the military officers and civil servants."

Pei Zunqing opposed Zhang Li's plan. He stood up and said, "Prime Minister Zhang's plan is not appropriate. This may be detrimental to local governance. The county magistrate will not be able to call on technical officials because they are not in the same system. There may even be two teams, one for civil officials and one for technical officials."

Zhang Li quickly said, "Minister Pei misunderstood. I just said that the technical staff should be transferred to a civil servant position. Because his official title is different, it is easy for the Ministry of Personnel to identify him. If he wants to use connections, there are too many links involved and the cost is too high."

Li Ye nodded. "Zhang Xiangguo's idea is right. It will make it more difficult for those who take advantage of loopholes. But the specific plan should be carefully considered. Don't make it too big. After all, this kind of loophole is just a small matter. It's unnecessary to kill a chicken with a butcher knife. It's better to come up with a small trick, such as giving all technical officials a brand, and nothing else will change. Officials with this brand must be approved by the Ministry of Personnel if they want to cross over to become civil servants."

Wei Jiansu smiled and said, "Your Majesty is right. To put it simply, give each technical officer the title of Gongshilang. Now all official transfers need to be approved by the Ministry of Personnel. If there is the title of Gongshilang in the resume, the Ministry of Personnel will be cautious."

Ginger is still spicy with age, this trick is powerful.

At this time, Wei Gao reported in the hall, "Your Majesty, the Privy Envoy Duan has an urgent matter to ask for your attention!"

Li Ye nodded, "Summon him to the emperor!"

Soon, Duan Xueshi hurriedly walked up to the hall and bowed, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"

Li Ye smiled slightly and said, "Please take a seat, Privy Councilor. Let's sit down and talk!"

Several prime ministers and ministers nearby were sitting, so it would not be appropriate to ask Duan Xueshi to report while standing.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Duan Xueshi sat down and said, "I have received an urgent report from the Jiannan Governor's Office that the Shizhou prospecting team was attacked by the Nanzhao and Tubo coalition forces. All three hundred guards were killed, and more than a dozen officials and miners were captured by the enemy."

Li Ye's face darkened. "When did this happen?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, just half a month ago, I received a pigeon message from Jiannan Governor Qu Huan, and the Jiannan Governor's Office also received a report from the two soldiers who escaped back."

Li Ye immediately said to Wei Gao: "Bring Jiannan's sand table!"

Wei Gao ran away, and Li Ye said to Wei Jiansu and the other two, "This is a serious matter, you should also participate!"

Soon, several officials brought in the Jiannan sand table and quickly put it together.

Shizhou is today's Xichang. Since the Han Dynasty, Shizhou has been an important place for the production of copper and iron. The court set up a large-scale coin casting center there. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, it was once occupied by Nanzhao, and was later recovered by the Tang army.

During the Tianbao period, the Tang army was defeated twice by Nanzhao and the Tang forces had to retreat. Shezhou was then occupied by Nanzhao again and the name of Nanzhao's state, Jianchang Prefecture, was restored.

After defeating the Tang army twice during the Tianbao period, Nanzhao was afraid of retaliation from the Tang Dynasty and surrendered to Tubo. In addition, the Anshi Rebellion broke out and Nanzhao was completely separated from the Tang Dynasty.

Five years ago, Nanzhao could no longer bear the heavy taxes imposed by Tubo. At that time, Li Ye rose to power again. Nanzhao again wanted to use the Tang Dynasty to get rid of Tubo. To show its sincerity, Nanzhao returned the northern Han-populated area of ​​Jianchang Prefecture to Jiannan Military Governor's Office.

Three months ago, the Ministry of Industry sent a prospecting team consisting of five officials and a dozen miners to the northern part of Shizhou to look for copper and iron mines.

Unexpectedly, Nanzhao broke its promise and joined forces with Tubo to attack the prospecting team and kill Tang soldiers. This was too evil and Li Ye could not tolerate it.

Wei Jiansu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, calm down and listen to what I have to say!"

"Prime Minister Wei, please speak!"

"When Your Majesty ascended the throne, the King of Nanzhao, Geluofeng, also sent envoys to congratulate us. We did not treat the envoys with contempt. It is impossible that Nanzhao would turn hostile as soon as the envoys returned. I think this must be related to Tubo. Moreover, Nanzhao Prime Minister Zheng Hui has repeatedly stated that Nanzhao is willing to submit to the Tang Dynasty, but Nanzhao is suppressed by Tubo, and sometimes they have to submit to Tubo!"

At this time, Zhang Li said, "What a coincidence! I happen to know something about Nanzhao."

Li Ye turned around and looked at Zhang Li, "How did Prime Minister Zhang know?"

Zhang Li bowed and said, "I have a manor in Shizhou that specializes in growing sugarcane. I sent an aide to manage the sugarcane garden. It was Chinese New Year, and the aide just came back a few days ago. He talked to me about the situation in Nanzhao. He is the nephew of Zheng Hui, the prime minister of Nanzhao. Last year, he was invited by Zheng Hui to visit Taihe City, the capital of Nanzhao, for a few months. He knows the situation in Nanzhao very well."

Li Ye nodded and said, "Can you please ask the Prime Minister's staff to come to Daming Palace? I want to know about the situation in Nanzhao."

"Of course there is no problem. His name is Zheng Xu. I beg Your Majesty to grant him white clothes. I can bring him to you anytime."

Li Ye immediately issued an order: "Today afternoon, the Political Affairs Hall will hold a military and political meeting. The scholar Zheng Xu will be given a white robe and go to the Political Affairs Hall to explain the situation of Nanzhao!"

In the afternoon, Zhang Li and his aide Zheng Xu came to the Daming Palace.

Zheng Xu was the nephew of Zheng Hui, the Qingping official of Nanzhao. Zheng Hui was a Mingjing graduate and served as the magistrate of Xilu County. He was captured by Nanzhao after the war in the eighth year of Tianbao, but was highly appreciated by Nanzhao King Geluofeng. He gradually became a high-ranking official of Nanzhao and the teacher of several princes. Nanzhao was finally destroyed by Zheng Hui's descendants.

Zheng Xu was about thirty years old, very thin, and quite smart and capable. He bathed, changed his clothes into white clothes, and was led by officials to the round hall of the Council of State.

At this time, a military and political meeting was being held in the Council of State, chaired by Emperor Li Ye himself, to discuss the incident in which the prospecting officer was attacked by the joint forces of Nanzhao and Tubo.

Zheng Xu was brought in, and Wei Jiansu stepped forward and whispered to Li Ye, "Your Majesty, Zheng Xu has been brought in!"

Li Ye nodded, "Let him speak first!"

Wei Jiansu pursed his throat and said to the high officials of the Political Affairs Hall and several ministers who were listening: "Zhang Xiangguo's staff has just returned from Nanzhao. This person is the nephew of Nanzhao Prime Minister Zheng Hui and knows more about Nanzhao's situation. Please ask him to introduce Nanzhao's situation to everyone first, and then we can discuss it."

Wei Jiansu waved his hand, and several officials brought Zheng Xu into the round hall.

Zheng Xu knelt down and paid homage to Li Ye, "I, Zheng Xu, wish His Majesty the Emperor a long life!"

Li Ye waved his hand, "Stand up!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zheng Xu stood up and saluted the high officials. Wei Jiansu said, "Mr. Zheng will first introduce the true situation of Nanzhao to everyone, and then answer some of your questions."

Zheng Xu was brought to the center of the round hall, where he was to speak. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then slowly said to everyone: "Now we are called Nanzhao, but that is just our wishful thinking. They have long called themselves the Mongols. Geluofeng has already proclaimed himself emperor and made his eldest son Fengjiayi the vice king, that is, the crown prince. Fengjiayi pacified the east of Dianchi Lake and called himself the Shangyuan Emperor.

Geluofeng is extremely arrogant and fears power but not virtue. After Tianbao defeated the Tang army twice, he looked down on the Tang Dynasty from the bottom of his heart. He currently just wants to use the Tang Dynasty to contain Tubo and reduce Tubo's pressure on Nanzhao. If the Tang Dynasty wants to gain Nanzhao's submission, it can only use force to hurt and scare them. Only then will Nanzhao be afraid and submit to the Tang Dynasty again. This is what my uncle Zheng Hui said, and I will relay it to your majesty and all the adults. "

(End of this chapter)