People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1417 I am not in good health and asked King Peng to return to the capital.

In September and late autumn, the grass and trees are withered and yellow.

Chang'an, Mingde Hall, East Palace.

Li Xian sat behind the desk and read the memorial in his hand bit by bit, with a smile gradually blooming on his face.

"Knock, knock, knock." Li Xian knocked on the table three times. All the ministers in the Eastern Palace looked over at the same time. "My Lords, the report from Fanzhou has come in. This year, Fanzhou has a great harvest. In addition to supporting Fanzhou's various expenses and sending troops to the Western Regions, 10% of the taxes will be sent to Chang'an."

After a slight pause, Li Xian said seriously: "This year's tax statistics have been completed. In the second year of Yonglong, the Tang Dynasty will have a good harvest."

"I congratulate Your Highness!" All the ministers in the palace stood up at the same time and solemnly raised their hands to Li Xian.

"Everyone is congratulated." Li Xian nodded with satisfaction, and then said: "You have worked hard this year, so I will ask the emperor to commend you, but before that, the East Palace has prepared a luncheon, you can go now. "

"Thank you, Your Highness." The ministers handed over their hands at the same time.

Li Xian smiled and waved his hands, and the officials immediately retreated slowly.

After the ministers left, Li Xian lowered his head and looked at the report in his hand. Fanzhou had indeed had a good harvest this year. It was extremely rare for the people to have more than a year's worth of food in their homes.

In particular, Fanzhou had just returned to the Tang Dynasty last year. There had been no troubles in the past year, but a peaceful harvest. This was what Li Xian looked forward to most in governing the country.

"What a pity." Li Xian sighed lightly. If Li Xuan was not a clan member, then he would definitely use Li Xuan as prime minister. But unfortunately, Li Xuan's status as a clan member destined that his upper limit was no more than a local governor or a governor. Even if he was returned to the court, he would only be serving as a minister of the Ministry of Rites and Minister of Works.

By the way, if Wu Chengsi, the Minister of Rites, dies, then the Minister of Rites will be vacant.

Li Xian attended Wu Chengsi's funeral in Chang'an in July. Now two months have passed, and the position of Minister of Rites is still vacant.

Immediately, Li Xian couldn't help but shook his head. Even now, the position of Minister of Rites is still vacant, and there is no one for Li Xuan...

"Your Highness, the official Lu Zangyong would like to see you."

The voice of the chamberlain came from outside the door. Li Xian suddenly came to his senses, raised his head and said, "Let him come in."

"Here!" As soon as the voice fell, Lu Zangyong, wearing a dark green official robe, had already walked into the hall.

"I, Lu Zangyong, the associate minister of Taichang Temple, pays homage to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Lu Zangyong walked into the palace and kowtowed to the ground before Li Xian.

Li Xian suddenly fell silent, looked at Lu Zangyong, and finally nodded gently and said: "Please get up, Qing Lu."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Lu Zangyong breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and bowed to Li Xian: "I took the liberty to disturb Your Highness today because of the Yushitai's impeachment of Wannian County Lieutenant Cui Ming."

Li Xian calmly looked at the pile of bullets on the left, then nodded and said, "I guessed it. In the past few months, Wannian County has been experiencing constant incidents and cases. At the beginning, Wannian County was still solving a flood of cases. , but in the end, the case was solved more and more slowly, and there was even no movement at all, so that the censor intervened and started impeachment, but I didn't think there was any problem. "

"Your Highness." Lu Zangyong said with a wry smile on his face and cupped his hands: "The case in Wannian County is not at a standstill, but the case is complicated and there is a lack of evidence, making it difficult to take effective measures. It would be impossible for Cui Ming to do his best without Cui Ming."

"Since it's not that you're unwilling to try your best, then it's because you're incapable of doing your best. If you feel you're incompetent in this important place in Wannian County, why don't you abdicate and make way for someone more talented?" Li Xian raised his head and looked at Lu Zangyong with an indifferent look. Lu Zangyong immediately looked stern. , bowed and said: "Your Highness."

Li Xian waved his hand and said: "Wannian County is an important place. Wannian County Government Office is right next to Princess Taiping's Mansion. If Wannian County Captain is not used, I am afraid it will endanger Taiping's safety. Since Cui Ming is unable to do so, then replace him with another one." "Effective."

"Your Highness." Lu Zang bowed deeply, with a painful expression on his face.

Li Xian looked up at Lu Zangyong, frowned, and said: "Lu Qing, Cui Ming is Cui Ming, you are you. Cui Ming's elders have come forward for Cui Ming's matter. How can it be your turn to take his place here?" plead?"

The corners of Lu Zang's mouth twitched slightly, and he cupped his hands and said, "Wannian County Lieutenant Cui Ming is the son of my cousin, and I have been classmates for many years."

"So you are all from your own family, so Cui Ming is also Mr. Lu's nephew?" Li Xian looked straight at Lu Zangyong.

Lu Xu, a former doctor in the Ministry of Personnel, was the eldest son of former prime minister Lu Chengqing, and Lu Zangyong was the direct grandson of Lu Chengqing's seventh brother Lu Chengli.

Lu Chengqing and Lu Chengli were both the former Duke of Fanyang County, and the heirs of Prince Ling Ling Lu Chisong.

Cui Ming is the son of Lu Chisong's granddaughter.

Lu Zangyong didn't lie, he cupped his hands and said, "Yes!"

"Lu Qing should completely avoid suspicion when Cui Ming appoints him." Li Xian stared directly at Lu Zangyong with a cold face.

Lu Zangyong lowered his head seriously, knowing that things would eventually come back to this point.

When Cui Ming was awarded the title of Wannian County Lieutenant, although it seemed to be a step-by-step procedure, Wannian County Lieutenant was sensitive after all.

If the emperor is gone, they can use this position to do something. But the emperor finally came to terms with it, and even now starts to look for trouble, then it is them who are in trouble.

"So, when you come today, are you interceding for Cui Ming or Lu Chen?" Li Xian stared at Lu Zangyong. .

Li Xian saw all this clearly, not to mention the calculations involved. Li Xuan never hid it from him from the beginning.

Although Prince Peng's Mansion was in charge of all the events in the middle, it was actually Li Xian who was standing behind everyone to tell everyone the truth.

Li Xuan's operation was superficially aimed at Cui Ming, but in fact it was aimed at Lu Chen.

But underneath everything, it was targeting a Shangshu of the Cui family, as well as a Prime Minister.

Now, the key figures of the Cui family and the Lu family have not ended up, but they just asked Lu Zangyong to come forward to intercede.

Please beg for mercy, but you are unwilling to take out any key and useful things, so what the hell.

Are you just using Lu Zang’s face to plead for mercy?

The aristocratic family is so preoccupied with everything. Li Xian now somewhat understood why they had to plot against the Wannian County Lieutenant when the emperor was seriously ill.

The aristocratic families do have some talents, but these talents are only in the minority. It is nothing more than the family working together to push up the resources. When the push reaches a certain level, they will then use them to gain benefits for their own family. And those who are pushed out, Even a talented person is hard to control at this time.

This is the aristocratic family. For more than a thousand years, the entire world has been like this.

Lu Zangyong lowered his head in shame and said, "Uncle, and cousin..."

Seeing Lu Zang, who was usually cool and carefree, looking in trouble, Li Xian waved his hand boredly and said: "In this matter, Lu Shilang has been transferred to the Imperial College. It is enough to let him do a good job in the Imperial College. As long as he doesn't No one will do anything to him if he is involved in other things. As for Cui Ming, let’s find a way to transfer him to Taiyuan County.”

Chang'an, Luoyang, and Henan were under the jurisdiction of the two capitals, while Taiyuan County was under the jurisdiction of the northern capital, Taiyuan. They were all at the same level.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Lu Zangyong kowtowed deeply.

Li Xian waved his hand, looked up at Lu Zangyong, and said, "Lu Qing, I've given you face alone. If the Cui family doesn't want to accept it and doesn't want to be transferred, don't come looking for me anymore. Do you understand?"

"Your Highness is saying that Cui Ming is unwilling to be transferred to Taiyuan?" Lu Zangyong raised his head in surprise.

At this time, Cui Ming can no longer handle the case. If he does not want to be impeached and removed from office, then actively applying for transfer is the only way.

The current situation is absolutely impossible for Chang'an, Luoyang, and the four counties of Henan. Then there is only one way left, Taiyuan, the northern capital.

But in the current situation, even if the Cui family has thousands of connections, they can't easily go to Taiyuan without Li Xian's nod.

Li Xian was willing to let go, which actually gave Lu Zang face.

But Lu Zangyong's face only goes so far. As for Lu Zangyong himself, he has enough to explain, but the Cui family may not be willing.

"The Cui family tried their best to place Cui Ming in Wannian County. Naturally, they want to take the opportunity to do something. How can they let go so easily." Li Xian sneered slightly.

It is not difficult to guess what he wanted to do when the emperor was seriously ill.

Li Xian gave him face, and Lu Zang suddenly came to his senses with his originally somewhat confused mind. He quickly said to Li Xian, "Your Highness, I will go home immediately and find someone to transfer Cui Ming away from Wannian County."

"Okay, you go ahead." Li Xian waved his hand, and Lu Zangyong immediately bowed, then turned and walked out.

Looking at Lu Zangyong's leaving figure, Li Xian shook his head slightly. Lu Zangyong was not the only one of the sons of the aristocratic family to serve in the East Palace. At this time, he was the only one who came forward to intercede. Lu Zangyong was far from thorough enough to understand the matter.

How could Cui Ming's matter end so easily?

Even if Cui Ming is transferred, Cui Ming can still investigate the case at hand.

Although it was said that Prince Peng's Mansion was promoting this case at first, now Li Xian is also eyeing him.

If not for anything else, just because his own son has grown up, Li Dan's son is also the same age, and Taiping is also pregnant.

What if these monsters and monsters on the ground in Chang'an are not cleaned up and endanger themselves in the future.

"Here comes someone." Li Xuan glanced sideways, and a chamberlain stood up.

Li Xian nodded and said, "Send a message and tell Su Sima to keep a closer eye on things."

"Here!" The chamberlain held up his hands and retreated.

At this moment, a burst of rapid footsteps sounded outside. Li Xian was slightly startled, and then he saw four people, Liu Rengui, Pei Yan, Xue Yuanchao, and Ouyang Tong, walking quickly from outside the hall with solemn expressions.

"Your Highness, something happened at the Anxi Protectorate."

……

Luoyang, Zhenguan Hall.

It was late autumn in September, and although it was not too cold, the stove was already lit in the temple.

Behind the deep curtain, Li Zhi's figure sat in it.

Empress Wu's clear voice sounded in the hall: "At the beginning of August, by the order of Zhongshu, Liu Shenli, the Duke of Pengcheng County, started a war with Xiaobolu and the Western Turkic tribes. The battle was in full swing. Five thousand cavalrymen came out from behind, and the army immediately Shaken, just at this moment, Zuo Xiaowei's army arrived from Dabolu, and after a fierce battle with Da Shi's cavalry, they each retreated with thousands of troops."

"Didn't you mention beheading in this battle?" Li Zhi raised his head in confusion.

Empress Wu shook her head slightly and said with a hint of worry: "If you don't behead, you won't win, but if you don't say defeat, it means that although the troops were lost, the opponent also suffered a lot."

Li Zhi nodded lightly and did not behead him. The fundamental reason was that he did not have time to behead the enemy.

It shows that after a great battle, our side has no energy left to advance further.

"Prime Minister Zuo, Prime Minister Pei, Prime Minister Xue, Shangshu Ouyang, and the Crown Prince all suggested that it would be most timely to send troops from Luoche Road. It would be best for King Peng to lead the troops into Anxi and be under the command of Duke Pengcheng. After all, King Peng is originally from Pengcheng. Cooperation between the Duke and the Duke is not a problem." Empress Wu frowned and looked behind the curtain.

The dark curtains blocked Empress Wu's sight as well as Li Zhi's changing expression.

Li Zhi raised his head slightly and said, "What does the queen think?"

"Yes, no." Empress Wu frowned and said: "When King Peng enters the Western Regions, it is not difficult to win the battle. The difficult thing is how to withdraw the troops. There are three generals, one prime minister, and tens of thousands of elite soldiers. If they do not complete their achievements in one battle, it will be difficult to withdraw the troops... …and Prince Peng is the former Duke of Pengcheng County.”

Behind the curtain, Li Zhi nodded slowly and finally said: "In the first month of next year, I will be enthroned. I need Prince Peng by my side. I am not in good health and it is difficult for the prince to be stable. Let Prince Peng return to the capital."

Empress Wu nodded: "Here!"

(End of this chapter)