First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 248

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At this time, Dong Jingzhen was stationed in Changsha (the third year of Daye, and Tanzhou was changed to Changsha County). Xiao Xian immediately wrote a letter to comfort Dong Jingzhen, expressing his pardon for his crimes. Dong Jingzhu's rebellion has nothing to do with you.

Dong Jingzhen felt relieved when he saw the pardon edict, until now, he was still loyal to Xiao Xian, but after a few days, Xiao Xiantu saw him poorly, and issued an imperial edict to recall Dong Jingzhen to Jiangling and make him the Grand Sima.

This action made Dong Jingzhen terrified and terrified, rebellion is a serious crime for the clan, you said to forgive my crimes, but in the end you issued an imperial edict to let me return to Beijing, once I return to Beijing, my life will not be guaranteed.

Dong Jingzhen didn't do anything, and directly announced that the land would be attached to the Tang Dynasty. Li Yuan was overjoyed and ordered Xu Shao, the governor of Xiazhou, to respond.

And Xiao Xian ordered Qi Wang Zhang Xiu to attack Dong Jingzhen. Dong Jingzhen defended the city and said to Zhang Xiu: "Didn't King Qi hear that Han Gaozu killed Peng Yue last year and Han Xin this year? You and I are brothers from Baling Juyi , how to kill each other?"

However, Zhang Xiu refused to listen and continued to attack. After the city was broken, Dong Jingzhen wanted to break through, but was attacked and killed by his subordinates. Because of his meritorious service, Zhang Xiu was promoted to Shang Shuling, a high position and authority, and became the first assistant of Xiao Liang. Zhang Xiu became more and more arrogant. As Dong Jingzhen said, Xiao Mian ordered Zhang Xiu to be executed.

With the deaths of Jin Wang Dong Jingzhen, Qi Wang Zhang Xiu and others, Xiao Liang's officials were even more suspicious and fearful. There were often those who rebelled against Liang and returned to Tang, and Xiao Mi strictly prohibited them. In just a few months, Liang Guo, which had 40 soldiers, declined rapidly.

Until Li Shimin captured the two kings in one battle, the Tang army's reputation shook the world, Li Yuan finally freed his hand, built a large-scale warship in the Bashu area, sharpened his sword and rushed to Xiao Liang, Xiao Mian finally panicked.

Luoyang City, Ziwei Palace, Qianyang Palace.

Li Shimin was furious, pointing to the two boxes full of letters in the hall, spit and scolded angrily: "The victory is not yet decided, and the king's army is still here, so why are you so impatient to serve the new master? Is the blade in your hand bad?"

All the officials in the hall bowed their heads one after another, not daring to speak, what's more, they were like sifting chaff.

Looking at the furious Li Shimin, Gao Chong could also understand why he was so furious. The Tang army besieged the city for a long time, and could not attack for a long time. Dou Jiande led another [-] troops to assist Zheng to attack Tang. Facing the Zheng Xia Alliance, no matter how you look at it, Tang Jun's chances of winning are extremely low.

At this time, many civil and military officials in Li Tang's court secretly wrote to Wang Shichong and contacted him in advance, lest Li Shimin's defeat would harm him.

"Send an order to investigate this matter strictly, but if there are secret traitors, they will be punished according to the law," Li Shimin ordered with a cold snort.

Gao Chong was anxious when he heard the words, and hurriedly stepped forward and whispered in his ear: "My lord, now Zheng Xia has been destroyed, and the north has been established. The unification of the Tang Dynasty is just around the corner. A lot of waste is waiting to be done. It is time to employ people. Your Majesty, why don't you follow the example of the Han Dynasty?" At the end of Cao Cao, burn letters to gather people's hearts."

Li Shimin paused when he heard the words, thought for a while, then nodded and said: "What you said makes sense."

Then Li Shimin sighed: "At that time, Zheng Xia's coalition forces were strong, and this king also felt that it was difficult to win, let alone others? Burn them today, and forget the past."

After finishing speaking, he ordered his attendants to fetch the brazier, poured the two boxes of letters into the basin one by one and burned them.

Seeing this, all the ministers bowed down one after another. Li Shimin's move undoubtedly gained the hearts of many people. After all, the Zheng Xia coalition forces are really powerful, the general situation of the world is not clear, and people's hearts are fluctuating. .

On the other hand, as Gao Chong said, the north has been settled, and there are no other separatist forces, so there is no need to worry about these people colluding with other forces.

Li Shimin left the hall first, followed by Gao Chong and others. Seeing that Li Shimin's anger was still there, Gao Chong and others did not dare to speak.

Walk all the way to Zhengnan Gate, which is the south gate of Ziwei Palace - Zetian Gate (named Zetian Gate in Sui Dynasty, Wang Shichong changed its name to Shuntian Gate, and Wu Zetian changed it to Yingtian Gate after he ascended the throne).

You can see the magnificent gate tower on the Tianmen Gate, and then you can see the majestic Qianyang Hall when you look back.

Li Shimin's face was heavy, and he sighed sincerely: "Such extravagance, extravagance and extravagance, how can we not perish?" Turning his head and seeing Qu Tutong beside him, he actually ordered: "Old General Qu Tu, immediately lead people to burn Qianyang Hall , but it also destroyed Zetianmen and the palaces of the kings of the Pseudo-Zheng".

Hearing this, everyone was startled, Gao Chong opened his mouth, and was about to persuade him, but he chose to shut up after all. In Gao Chong's view, Ziwei Palace is so big, even more so than Chang'an Taiji Palace, and it will definitely be used in the future. Now Burn it down, and it will be rebuilt in the future, so why bother.

According to the original trajectory, Li Shimin burned down the Qianyang Palace and wanted to rebuild it after he ascended the throne, but was strongly opposed by the speech officer Zhang Xuansu, who advised Li Shimin with only 35 words, "A Fangcheng, Qin Wang San, Qianyang completed work, The Sui people disintegrated", Li Shimin had no choice but to give up, but after [-] years after the Qianyang Palace was burned, Tang Gaozong, who succeeded him, still ordered to rebuild the Qianyang Palace.

But Gao Chong knew that Li Shimin's intention of burning Qianyang Palace at this time was to prove that Li Shimin would never be greedy for pleasure. Since he knew the intention, Gao Chong would definitely not stop it.

Qu Tutong has always been upright, and he really can't understand such extravagance, so he immediately took the order and wanted to go. Sure enough, someone came out to dissuade him, but he was severely reprimanded by Li Shimin, while the other eldest grandson Fang Du and others were silent. keep silent.

Seeing the Qianyang Palace being burned, Gao Chong was sensitive to the change of Li Shimin's mentality.

After Li Shimin captured Luoyang, he changed his normal routine and kept in contact with various clans. Gao Chong and others naturally knew the reason for all these changes.

Since the two kings were captured in the battle of Hulaoguan, the name of King Qin has shaken the world, and Luoyang has naturally become the newest base of King Qin's mansion. It is to spare no effort to recruit talents for the Qin Palace.

Li Shimin had made great military achievements, and thanks to the burning of letters and the Qianyang Palace, the people of Luoyang had a better understanding of Li Shimin's character. People, in an endless stream.

Just when Gao Chong was very busy, a personal guard hurriedly came to report and whispered in Kaohsiung's ear. Kaohsiung was also shocked and reported in a hurry.

"What?" Gao Chong was taken aback, "What do you mean there is an extra woman in the house?"

Kaohsiung smiled wryly, "Just now the guards of the mansion came to report that the soldiers and horses of Prince Qin's mansion sent a woman into the mansion, saying that it was arranged by King Qin."

After conquering Luoyang, Li Shimin took the initiative to reward many cronies with houses in Luoyang City, and Gao Chong had a place to stay in Luoyang City.

"This... is absurd, brother-in-law is giving a woman to brother-in-law?" Gao Chong didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and hurriedly got up, "Prepare the horse, go back and have a look."

(End of this chapter)