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

Chapter 1784: Work Report of the Second Year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty

The third year of Kaiyuan, the first day of the first lunar month.

Early in the morning, in Lizheng Hall.

Li Xuan and Liu Jinyu stood in the hall with their arms outstretched, allowing the maids to help them put on their crowns and pheasant robes.

"I heard that Changsun Yuanyi came last night." Liu Jinyu glanced at Li Xuan and said, "His little daughter will be almost fifteen soon. When will her husband decide to arrange the marriage?"

"I have handed them all over to the Zongzheng Temple and the Taichang Temple for disposal." Li Xuan closed his eyes lightly and did not respond directly.

"Then I will wait for the Zongzheng Temple and the Taichang Temple to report the wedding ceremony according to the ritual system." Liu Jinyu smiled gently.

The daughter of the Changsun family had arranged to marry Li Xuan last year, but because she was only thirteen years old, the marriage was postponed to this year.

He is already fourteen years old this year, and will be fifteen in two months.

According to Tang system, they can get married.

Li Xuan nodded slightly without saying anything more.

Although he is now the emperor and has three palaces, six courtyards and seventy-two concubines, it is normal. But except for the fifth wife Qiong Yu and his cousin Zhao Huan, Li Xuan only has Wang Jian Niang by his side. The others are from the Pengwang Mansion period.

When it comes to matters between men and women, Li Xuan has been very restrained. At least he did not select concubines on a large scale.

Even the daughter of the Changsun family was married only to check and balance the Wang family, which was favored by Li Xuan.

Wang Dezhen, Wang Jishan, Wang Fangyi, Wang Bo, and many other Wang family members who were highly valued by Li Xuan.

Other families in the court had also felt the threat. Fortunately, Li Xuan was going to marry the daughter of the Changsun family. This made everyone understand that Li Xuan had not given up his plans for other major families. The storm that had not yet started gradually subsided.

……

Wearing the crown and robes neatly, Li Xuan grabbed the black-sheathed sword held by Xu Lu with one hand, and his expression suddenly became stern.

"Let's go." After saying that, Li Xuan strode forward and walked directly out of the Lizheng Hall.

Li Zhu, Li Lingwen, Li Xiaoyi and Li Rong, the four imperial guards generals all took up their roles.

The generals of the Jinwu Guard and the Qianniu Guard are not here today.

On New Year's Day, they and the generals of the guards were all outside the Taiji Gate to welcome the kings, prime ministers, chancellors, ministers, provincial governors and all other officials above the ninth rank in Chang'an.

Today is a rare opportunity for the military generals to show their power to the ministers in the court.

The military has always been Li Xuan's exclusive domain. Except for the Ministry of War, no one else, even the prime minister, can interfere in the military without Li Xuan's approval.

Liu Jinyu followed Li Xuan, looking at her husband gently, until he sat on the imperial chariot, Liu Jinyu whispered: "When my husband goes to Yangzhou this year, the Silla people will follow him and keep an eye on him, have you ever thought about asking the Silla people to send a princess over to divert their attention?"

Li Xuan looked at Liu Jinyu in surprise, and then explained: "The Silla people have no princesses. No, or the new generation of Silla kings have no living princesses."

When Li Xuan was in the Kaiyuan period, the King of Silla was still Kim Beommin, but now, Kim Beommin has been dead for six years. The current King of Silla is Kim Beommin's eldest son, Kim Jung-myeong.

"Kim Jung-myeong and Queen Kim did have two sons and one daughter in their early years, but in the first year of Sisheng, Kim's father Kim Qintu rebelled. After the rebellion failed, Kim Qintu was executed, and Kim Jung-myeong's two sons, one daughter, and Queen Kim were all executed." Li Xuan explained briefly.

The situation of Silla was somewhat similar to that of the Tang Dynasty, and the political power was nothing more than a power struggle between the royal family and aristocratic forces.

If the royal family wins, the nobles will be forced to lie dormant, but they will only lie dormant. In a few years, they will return to conflict.

"Although we didn't seize the opportunity in the first year of Sisheng, who knows what will happen in the future." Li Xuan looked at Liu Jinyu and smiled gently, "I heard that the King of Silla married his aunt's daughter as queen, and his aunt has four daughters. The youngest daughter is not yet an adult. If there is a chance, I will capture her and give her a back massage."

Liu Jinyu gave Li Xuan a half-smile and rolled her eyes, saying, "I dare not accept it. If there is a chance, I'd better let the King of Silla give birth to a daughter and bring her back to be the prince's maid."

Li Xuan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Shangguan Wan'er was listening at the back, her mouth twitching slightly. The couple just stared at the cousin and daughter.

One wanted to capture the other's cousin to give to the queen as a back massage, and the other was even more cruel, wanting to capture the other's unborn daughter to warm the prince's bed.

The palace maids around all heard the voices of Li Xuan and Liu Jinyu, but no one dared to say a word.

……

The imperial carriage moved forward and passed the Lizheng Gate.

Li Xuan seemed to remember something, looked at Liu Jinyu, and said: "I will travel this summer, arrive in Luoyang in April, and leave for Yangzhou in early June. The Crown Prince will be in Chang'an to supervise the country, and the Left Prime Minister and Wang Xiang will stay behind; the Queen will stay in Luoyang, and the Right Prime Minister, Li Xiang, Ouyang Shizhong, and Zhang Xiang will assist; I will take Liu Xiang and Cen Xiang to tour the south."

Liu Jinyu's expression became solemn. The most important thing this year was Li Xuan's southern tour to Yangzhou.

Liu Jinyu knew clearly that Li Xuan's real purpose of going to Yangzhou was to inspect the navy in order to prepare for the war against Silla two years later.

"In early June, even if we stay in Yangzhou for five days, it will probably take a month and a half to go back and forth. So Sanniang must keep an eye on Luoyang and Chang'an and make sure nothing goes wrong." Li Xuan looked at Liu Jinyu seriously. In fact, he quite liked to see someone jumping out to make trouble.

However, in the past two years, Li Xuan does not want any other place to be in chaos except Hebei.

Because this would slow down his preparations for war.

"Yes!" Liu Jinyu nodded seriously, and then said: "Last year, the crown prince was regent, and I still managed the government for a period of time."

"This time is different." Li Xuan paused after speaking, and then he said softly: "Yangzhou is just a rehearsal. In the future, when Silla goes to war, even if I don't go deep into Andong, I will stay in Hebei for a long time. In that case, all the affairs of the world will be entrusted to Sanniang's hands."

When Li Xuan arrived in Hebei, his focus would only be on Hebei and Liaodong Peninsula. The rest of Henan, Jiangnan, Huainan, Shannan, Lingnan, Jianzhong, Guanzhong, Hedong, and Northwest could only be left to Liu Jinyu.

"This period of time may be very long, possibly two to three years, so from today on, Sanniang will be involved in handling all the affairs of the world." Li Xuan gently held Liu Jinyu's hand and nodded seriously.

Seeing Li Xuan's calm expression, Liu Jinyu nodded and said, "Okay!"

...Outside the Taiji Hall, hundreds of Chang'an officials of the ninth rank and above stood holding tablets.

The bright yellow imperial chariot stopped in front of the jade steps. Li Xuan, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, and Liu Jinyu, wearing a bright yellow phoenix robe, walked down the chariot hand in hand.

Li Zhizhao and Li Zhiming walked up from both sides and came behind Li Xuan and Liu Jinyu.

Li Xuan raised his head, put his hand on the black sword hilt, and then walked up the jade steps step by step.

Liu Jinyu followed Li Xuan half a step behind.

Li Zhizhao and Li Zhiming followed behind the two men all the way to the entrance of Taiji Hall.

In the endlessly solemn Taiji Hall, there were the prime minister, the three-deputy envoys, the sixteen generals of the guards, the princes and dukes, the provincial governors, the tribute students, the retired officials, and countless foreign envoys, all dressed in gorgeous clothes, standing in neat rows, holding tablets.

Li Xuan wore a white jade crown with twelve tassels on his head and walked slowly in the hall.

At this moment, all the ministers bowed solemnly.

Walking to the foot of the imperial steps, Li Xuan raised his head slightly and landed on the dragon bed, with the imperial seal held in Fu Baolang's hand on one side.

Those who receive orders from heaven will live long and prosperous lives.

Li Xuan smiled gently, then calmly walked up the imperial steps, walked step by step to the dragon couch, reached out to support Liu Jinyu, and then turned around and sat down together.

At this moment, inside the solemn and sacred hall, a eunuch stepped forward and shouted loudly: "The Holy Saint has arrived. All the ministers should pay their respects and march forward."

As the shout fell, everyone in the hall took a half step forward at the same time and knelt on one knee on the ground.

"Take off your shoes!"

All the ministers took off their thick boots at the same time.

"Unsword!"

Officials and generals who were carrying swords took off their swords and put them aside.

Li Xuan reached out and took off the long sword and handed it to Zhou Sheng on the side.

Zhou Sheng held the sword with the hilt slightly forward, making sure that Li Xuan could grasp the hilt at the first moment, and then draw the sword to kill.

"Bow down!"

All the ministers knelt on the ground, performed a great ceremony, and shouted in unison: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to you and wish you a long life."

The grand voice echoed throughout the Tai Chi Hall.

……

Li Xuan raised his hand calmly, and the eunuch Sheng Dianyi on the side immediately shouted loudly: "Xing!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers slowly stood up, their eyes lowered, and stood solemnly holding their tablets.

Li Xuan turned his head and his eyes fell on Ouyang Tong.

Ouyang Tong was the Minister of the Menxia Province, but in the division of duties in the Menxia Province, Ouyang Tong was more responsible for communicating with Li Xuan.

He is Li Xuan's uncle, and many things are handled by him, so there will be much more room for internal and external buffering.

Ouyang Tong walked to the center of the hall holding a hu tablet, bowed solemnly and said: "Your Highness, I am the Minister of the Court. Ouyang Tong reports that in the second year of Kaiyuan, the weather was good and the people were happy. The Ministry of Revenue collected a total of about 13 million strings of grain in taxes. The Ministry of Personnel dismissed 134 bad, incompetent, unvirtuous, and corrupt officials, and 316 retired due to old age, and demoted them..."

When Ouyang Tong said this, not only the ministers, but also Liu Jinyu looked at Ouyang Tong in surprise, and at the same time looked at Li Xuan.

The annual report on state affairs at the New Year's Day court was always just a formality, a few auspicious words, but today, Li Xuan presented further and more detailed data directly in front of all the officials in the court and countless foreign envoys.

While the ministers were extremely shocked, they couldn't help but feel a little admiration in their hearts.

He is worthy of being an emperor who dares to talk about creating a greater prosperous era. His frank attitude is enough to make all the wise people in the world admire him.

At the same time, when this number was announced, the faces of many foreign officials standing behind him all became solemn.

The Tang Dynasty's annual revenue last year was 13 million strings of cash.

You know, an ordinary war horse costs only twenty strings of coins, and 13 million strings of coins are enough to buy 600,000 war horses.

Of course, this is an inaccurate approximation, but this number is definitely enough to make all foreigners bow their heads in awe.

"…In the second year of Zhenguan, a total of 49 new Jinshi were admitted, and there were 33 officials of various levels, 39 officials transferred from the Ministry of War, and more than 280 people were transferred from the outside to the inside." Ouyang Tong explained the origins of the new officials of last year in just a few words.

Li Xuan nodded slightly. It was true that in the entire Tang Dynasty, the officials with the most backgrounds were those who were transferred from the outer ranks to the inner ranks.

However, these officials often have a ceiling, and the ninth rank is the end of their career.

They are also the officials who retired this year.

Most of these people came from local prefectures and counties, but they were included in the official ranks and enjoyed court salaries. Every official needed the approval of the Ministry of Personnel.

More people who are familiar with the Ministry of Personnel know that these words mean that the Ministry of Personnel has completely taken control of the promotion of officials throughout the world. Together with the 13 million strings of taxes collected by the Ministry of Revenue, everything in the world is in the hands of the emperor.

Liu Jinyu turned and looked at Li Xuan. Since her husband ascended the throne, his tentacles had already reached the very end of the official system in the world.

"…The Ministry of Justice handled 3,500 criminal cases, the Ministry of Works repaired 210,000 meters of roads, bridges and dams, the Ministry of Rites managed the rituals and music of the whole country, and it ran smoothly, the Ministry of War sent out 100,000 troops, fought against 30,000 Turkish cavalrymen in the Central Turkic Empire, and captured the heads of Ashina Gudulu and Ashina Mochuo."

Ouyang Tong breathed a sigh of relief, closed the memorial, and said solemnly to Li Xuan: "In the second year of Kaiyuan, all industries are running smoothly and the world is stable. I, as the subjects of the world, wish Your Majesty a long life."

(End of this chapter)