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

Chapter 1821 Internal Guard, Li Xuan's Internal Guard
The candlelight flickered as Li Xuan stumbled into the Lizheng Hall.

Liu Jinyu hurried out of the inner hall and helped the drunk Li Xuan to sit down on the couch. He covered him with a bearskin cloak and said with a slight complaint, "Why did you drink so much?"

"It's rare that everyone is back, so let's have a few more drinks." Li Xuan exhaled a little bit of alcohol, and the maid beside him handed a bowl of lotus seed soup to Liu Jinyu.

Liu Jinyu fed Li Xuan a few bites of food, and he finally relaxed. He lay there and said, "What I'm actually thinking about is the issue of Tang Zhenxing and Heichi Changzhi."

"These two generals are loyal to Your Majesty, what problem could there be?" Liu Jinyu looked at Li Xuan with some curiosity.

"It's a matter for the future. Tang Zhenxing has been in Dianzhou for almost three years, and Heichi Changzhi has been in Fanzhou for even longer, eight years, and he has been the governor of Fanzhou for three years." Li Xuan raised his head and looked at the golden phoenix hanging down from the roof of the hall, and said softly: "In two more years, they must come, especially Heichi Changzhi, who needs to be brought in earlier."

"A general in the army cannot be in charge of a place for more than five years?" Liu Jinyu understood it immediately.

"After Heichi Changzhi returned to the capital, he was appointed as the general of the imperial guards. While suppressing the troops in Chang'an, he was also allowed to relax. After the war with Silla, Tang Zhenxing was transferred to be the chief of Yizhou Grand Military Governor's Office to watch Chang'an from the south as a check and balance." Li Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "In fact, what I am worried about is that if you and I are not in Chang'an, what will happen to Zhao'er..."

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, forcibly interrupting Li Xuan's voice.

Li Xuan sat up in surprise. This was the harem, who would be so bold?

……

When the eunuch Yang Sixu came in from outside, Li Xuan's expression suddenly became solemn.

Liu Jinyu was also a little puzzled. The Junior Eunuch Yang Sixu was a person with little presence in the palace, and even Liu Jinyu rarely saw him.

However, Liu Jinyu knew that Yang Sixu, whose original surname was Su, was the son of Su Li, the leader of a minority tribe in Luozhou, Lingnan. In the fourth year of Xianqing, his entire family was exterminated. At the age of six, Yang Sixu entered the palace and worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was adopted by the old eunuch Yang and changed his surname to Yang.

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Yang Sixu, although his surname was Yang, was not highly valued. It seemed that this was related to the extermination of his family. However, Liu Jinyu did not know the details.

After walking to the back, Yang Sixu bowed to Li Xuan and Liu Jinyu and said, "Your Majesty, Queen, a secret letter from Silla."

"Yes!" Li Xuan opened it immediately, took a look, looked up at Yang Sixu and said, "Go, transfer another group of people from the Secret Guard and send them from Yangzhou to Silla after the New Year."

"Yes!" Yang Sixu immediately bowed, then turned and left.

Liu Jinyu raised his eyes, looked at Li Xuan and said, "You handed over the inner guard to him?"

The Inner Guards were people used to secretly monitor the movements in the palace during the reign of the Queen of Heaven.

After Li Xuan ascended the throne, the palace was thoroughly purged of Empress Wu's cronies, and those who remained were mostly under the control of Xu Lu. Therefore, although the inner guards still existed, their numbers were small.

Now Li Xuan has gradually stabilized the government, and he has also gradually established the internal guards.

Especially as the prince gradually grows up...

Li Xuan nodded gently and said, "After the palace gates were closed, it was not convenient to send in a lot of secret guard news. It was okay with Xu Lu in charge before, but now that Silla is involved, there are more and more things to do, so I asked him to take charge, and at the same time, I also secretly kept an eye on the secret guards."

Liu Jinyu nodded slightly, looking agreeable.

Zhao Gong, the commander-in-chief of the Secret Guard, is Li Xuan's cousin, so he is naturally trusted very much. However, after Zhao Huan entered the palace, the situation became a little delicate, especially after Zhao Huan had a son. Zhao Gong still holds the power of the Secret Guard. Li Xuan is fine, but Liu Jinyu has begun to feel a little uncomfortable.

In the past two years, Prince Ji Li Zhifu is still young, so nothing has happened yet. But in a few years, once Li Zhifu grows up and his grandfather still holds the power of the secret guards, Liu Jinyu will be uncomfortable.

Now Li Xuan used the Silla war as an excuse to let Yang Sixu intervene, which Liu Jinyu thought was a good thing.

"By the way, what's the matter?" Liu Jinyu then asked Li Xuan.

"Sanniang, do you still remember Jin Renwen, the General of the Zhenjun Army and the General of the Right Guard?" Li Xuan raised his head and looked at Liu Jinyu.

Liu Jinyu nodded heavily. Jin Renwen was the younger brother of the previous king of Silla, Kim Beommin, and the uncle of the current King of Silla, Kim Jung-myeong.

"Didn't he say that he has been recuperating in Luoyang for these years, and he didn't even participate in the New Year's Day court?" Liu Jinyu frowned and looked at Li Xuan.

Li Xuan nodded and said, "In the early years, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and Silla was stable, so Emperor Gaozong allowed Jin Renwen to recuperate in Luoyang. Later, when the Queen Mother came to power, Jin Renwen pretended to be sick and hid away.

When it came to my husband, it was fine at first, but later Silla and Taiping became connected, so I asked him to pretend to recuperate, and then secretly sent servants to open the Silla trade route. "

"Using the Silla trade route to carry out espionage?" Liu Jinyu immediately understood.

"After all, he is from Silla, and most of his subordinates are from Silla." Li Xuan raised his head and said softly, "When Jin Beommin was in power, some people in the court were worried that he would quietly return to Silla, but now, his nephew Jin Zhengming is in power in Silla, so he will never have a chance to go back."

King Kim Jung-myeong of Silla was undoubtedly a cruel person. He did not even spare his father-in-law, queen, and even prince, let alone Kim In-mun who had once betrayed Silla.

"The King of Silla has been doing evil things in recent years. Jin Renwen's people went back in the name of clearing trade routes, but some people with ulterior motives came to him on their own initiative. They didn't ask Jin Renwen for anything, but only asked for a way out in the Tang Dynasty." Li Xuan smiled slightly. In recent years, he knew a lot about the affairs of the Silla court, all thanks to Jin Renwen.

Unfortunately, most of the people Jin Ren asked were in the Silla court, but he didn't care much about Silla. "Then Jin Zhengming didn't know that they went back?" Liu Jinyu frowned and looked at Li Xuan.

Li Xuan smiled and said, "Of course he knows, but Jin Renwen's people went there on the pretext of trading in public and looking for Taiping's whereabouts in secret. If something really happened to them in Silla, then I will believe that Taiping is now in Silla, which will give me an excuse to start a war."

Liu Jinyu nodded slightly. She knew that Li Xuan was better than him in this regard.

"In Silla, power is determined by bone rank, just like the Nine-Rank System. If the aristocratic families are strong, the royal power will be restricted, and if the royal power is strong, the aristocratic families will be restricted. Now Silla is exactly the latter, and the aristocratic families are severely suppressed. So it is normal for some people to contact the Tang Dynasty, and Jin Renwen is a very good way." Li Xuan looked calm.

In order to conquer Silla over the years, he made a lot of preparations, intending to destroy Silla as smoothly as possible.

However, I don’t know whether God is helping or just joining in the fun. There are floods this year and drought next year. It’s really strange.

But it also happened to give Li Xuan the opportunity to build a granary and store grain in Hebei with justification.

And it can also hide it from the Silla people.

……

Liu Jinyu sat on the couch, looked at Li Xuan, shook her head slightly and said, “Your husband can make the decision on Silla’s affairs, but you’d better make preparations for Xia’er’s affairs.

She will be twelve next year, and recently many people have come to inquire about Princess Fuchang's marriage."

Li Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "They can ask whatever they want, but Xia'er's marriage must at least wait until I destroy Silla. After that, I will take a rest and recuperate, so that the marriage age for girls will be raised to sixteen."

"Sixteen years old!" Liu Jinyu looked at Li Xuan in surprise and whispered, "This?"

"The age limit for men will also be raised by two years. This may have some impact on the families of ordinary people, but it will give the court enough time to digest what Silla has gained."

Li Xuan looked at Liu Jinyu and said seriously: "Conquer Silla, and then give all the proceeds to the soldiers in the army and the officials in the court, then the world will have no other intentions towards you and me.

In this way, even after a hundred years, people’s hearts will not change. This is the foundation of a country.”

When Li Xuan ascended the throne, the real ceremonial factor was his status as the grandson of Emperor Gaozu and the heir to the throne, with the rank of General of the Right Guard leading the army. Later, due to changes in the court, he was elected as the emperor by the people of the country. However, his grace to the people of the country was not enough. Ordinary people did not benefit much from following him, but the lower-level soldiers and officials did not benefit much from following him.

Therefore, only by destroying Silla could he completely win over the last bit of people's hearts.

It became an imperial dynasty that lasted for hundreds of years, instead of being a joke that perished under the second emperor of the Sui Dynasty.

Liu Jinyu nodded vigorously. This world not only belonged to Li Xuan, but also to her.

"As for Zhao'er, there's no need to rush his marriage." After saying that, Li Xuan smiled and said, "In this way, we can also use the marriage of our two children to attract the hearts of the people in the world to you and me, so that nothing will go wrong in the future."

"Yeah!" Liu Jinyu nodded slightly in agreement. No one would choose to stand against them if there was a chance to become the emperor's relative.

……

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, in the Taiji Hall.

Li Xuan looked at the kneeling Gongbu Langzhong Huangfu Xi and Lu Dinglin, and said seriously: "In two months, the repairs of all roads have been completed. Yesterday, I went to the generals in the army and Huang Qing, and finally agreed to promote Gongbu Langzhong Lu Dinglin to Gongbu Assistant Minister.

After the sixth day of the first lunar month of next year, Lu Qing will rush to Luoyang to prepare for the repair of the road connecting Jingzhou and Yingzhou."

"I obey your order." Lu Dinglin kowtowed solemnly.

Huangfu Shi also kowtowed. Lu Dinglin was going to Luoyang on the sixth day of the first lunar month, which saved him some embarrassment.

"Next year, the use of corvée labor will be strictly controlled for road repairs. As for the rest, the court will settle the bills with grain and Kaiyuan Tongbao." Li Xuan looked at Lu Dinglin seriously and said, "Mr. Lu, you are now the Minister of Works. You must learn to look at world affairs from a new perspective in the future."

Lu Dinglin's expression became solemn, and he bowed and said, "I will follow your Majesty's instructions."

Li Xuan nodded, looked at Huangfu Xi, and said, "Pass the decree to grant the position of Tongyi Dafu to Huangfu Xi, Langzhong of the Ministry of Works."

Tongyi Daifu was a non-official official of the fourth rank or above.

Huangfu Xi immediately raised his head in surprise and said, "I thank your Majesty for your great grace. May your Majesty live forever."

Li Xuan looked at Huangfu Xi and said seriously, "Next year, there will be a severe drought in the world. You must pay more attention to the repair of the canal, my dear Huangfu. If there is no damage to the world next year, I will promote you to a higher level."

Huangfu Xi immediately gritted his teeth and kowtowed, saying, "I am willing to die for your majesty."

(End of this chapter)