First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 553

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There was an uproar in the Hall of Liangyi, all the officials gathered in twos and threes, discussing a lot, even Gao Junya and the others in the front row were surprised.

Although the establishment of the Municipal Shipping Department was a bit of a breakthrough in cognition, after deliberation in court and analyzing the pros and cons, the ministers were mentally prepared. It was nothing more than setting up a new official office.

As for the upgrade of the Guangzhou Metropolitan Government to the Grand Metropolitan Government, although this is somewhat shocking, it is not unacceptable.

In the seventh year of Wude, Li Yuan changed the general manager's mansion to the governor's mansion. In its heyday, there were more than 80 governor's mansions in the world, governing more than 360 states, but among the more than 80 governor's mansions, there were only four major governor's mansions, all of which were set up in important places. The regions are Bingzhou, Yangzhou, Yizhou, and Jingzhou.

Until last year, in order to prevent the Turks from plundering the border areas, Gao Chong held the Youyan [-]-state joint military exercise in Youzhou, and then recommended Liu Hongji to take over as the governor of Youzhou. Metropolitan government.

So far, the Tang Dynasty has a total of five governors' mansions: Bing, Yang, Yi, Jing, and You.

Now due to the need to manage Lingnan, it is reasonable and not unacceptable to upgrade the Guangzhou Metropolitan Government to the Grand Metropolitan Government.

It just so happens that the current six major governor's mansions guard the Tang Dynasty, Youzhou in the northeast, Bingzhou in the north, Yizhou in the southwest, Yangzhou in the southeast, Jingzhou in the middle, and Guangzhou in the south.

But the envoy of the Lingnan Economics governs the eight governments, which is a bit surprising. In name, he is the envoy of the Lingnan Economics, but in fact he is the King of Lingnan.

Of course, this government that governs the eight governments does not include military power, but only government affairs, but this is also a very shocking existence.

In the original trajectory, until the second year of Zhenguan, because the remoteness of Lingnan was not conducive to the jurisdiction, Li Shimin was promoted to Li Wencai as the governor of Rongzhou, and he was also in charge of the five Lingnan prefectures. The five prefectures were Rongzhou, Guizhou, and Yongzhou. This is also the most glorious period in the history of Rongzhou.

However, Li Wencai, who is also in charge of the five Lingnan prefectures, is only in charge of it. To put it bluntly, it is only because the five Lingnan prefectures are too far away to govern, so Li Shimin asked Li Wencai to assist in governing.

The real Lingnan Economic Envoy was not established until the 21st year of Emperor Xuanzong Kaiyuan, but it was only the Five-Fover Economic Envoy, excluding Qinzhou (now Guangxi), Yazhou (now Hainan) and other regions. Guangzhou, Yongzhou and other areas, that is, the Guangdong area today.

Later, Lingnan Road was divided into two, Lingnan East Road and Lingnan West Road. The Five Lingnan Prefectures became the Lingnan East Road Jiedu Envoy, later called the Qing Navy Jiedu Envoy, and became one of the famous Tianbao Ten Jiedu Envoys until the Five Dynasties. During this period, Liu Yan, the military governor of the Qing Dynasty, separatized Lingnan and established the Southern Han Dynasty.

The economic envoy was originally set up by Li Shimin in Bianzhou in the second year of Zhenguan, but now due to the situation in Lingnan, this post was set up a year earlier.

Not to mention the astonishment of the officials, Gao Chong himself was also stunned. Now everyone knows that the first envoy of the eight Lingnan provinces must be Gao Chong.

Gao Chong did have some thoughts when talking about the situation in Lingnan with Li Shimin before. After all, it would be difficult for him to gain a foothold in Lingnan without a nominal official position to control the factory.

He originally thought that Li Shimin would give him a temporary envoy such as a pacifier or deposed envoy to facilitate Gao Chong's foothold in Lingnan, but he did not expect Li Shimin to be so generous that he directly set up a Lingnan economic envoy.

The Jinglue envoy will be the future Jiedushi envoy, equivalent to a prince, and this will be the predecessor of the feudal town in the future.

As for Li Shimin's thoughts, Gao Chong also understood that it was nothing more than compensation, a typical ups and downs
After all, he was dismissed from his position as Minister of the Ministry of War and traveled thousands of miles to the wild land in the south of the Five Ridges. The envoy of the Lingnan Economic Strategy was Li Shimin's greatest compensation to Gao Chong.

As expected, Li Shimin made another decree next.

Canonized as the envoy of the Lingnan Economic Strategy, the governor of Guangzhou, the governor of Guangzhou, the envoy of Guangzhou City, the military governor of Guang and Shao, and the administration of the eight prefectures of Lingnan. General, stationed in Panyu City, Guangzhou.

As soon as the imperial decree came out, all the ministers looked at Gao Chong with inexplicable eyes.

Gao Chong's original Shangshu of the Ministry of War was only a third-rank official, but now he was promoted to be an envoy of economic strategy and governor, and he became an important minister of the second rank.

Now Gao Chong's official rank is equal to that of his father Gao Junya, the Shangshu left servant.

In the Tang Dynasty, the official positions of Zhengyipin were only three companies and three divisions and General Tiance. Among them, only General Tiance had real power and could establish a mansion to appoint officials. His power was second only to the emperor and prince, and was above all kings. .

From the first rank, there are only the third masters of the East Palace, and from the second rank, there are only Shangshu Ling, and from the second rank, there are only Shangshu Zuopushe, Donggong Sanshao (Prince Shaoshi, Shaobao, Shaofu), Jing Zhao /Henan/Taiyuan Prefecture and the Governor General.

The remaining six ministers, Zhongshu Ling, Shi Zhong, and Sixteen Guards Generals all belong to the third rank.

For ordinary people, the third rank is the end, and the official positions above the third rank are basically hopeless without special merits, let alone Shang Shuling and Tiance Admiral.

Facing the shocked and envious looks of the ministers, Gao rushed out to receive the order and thank him.

Although Gao Chong was dismissed from office and left the capital this time, in fact, no matter who he was, he was envious from the bottom of his heart.

Any one of them would be an incredible existence in the court, and now it is a great honor to gather on one person.

Li Shimin was very satisfied with the effect, especially when he saw Gao Chong's surprised face, he even smiled from the bottom of his heart. In Li Shimin's view, he had no doubts about employing people, and he was fearless. Believe in his eyes, this is self-confidence.

He also understood the reason for the fear in the Gao family's father and son's hearts. After all, this is not a dirty thing, and it can be put on the bright side. Worried about the beauty of the tree, this is also the concern of the wise.

It happened that Gao Chong had some ideas about Lingnan, so he would fulfill Gao Chong and hand over the entire Lingnan to Gao Chong. He believed that Gao Chong would not let him down, and he also wanted Gao Chong to believe that being equal to wealth is not a lie.

"After the first lunar month, you can set off on your journey," Li Shimin twisted his beard and said with a smile.

Gao Chong agreed, and then Li Shimin looked at Tian Zongxian, the old Duke of Qian.

"Mr. Huiguang, if I remember correctly, Ziguang is now the head of the prison?" Li Shimin asked with a warm smile on his face.

Tian Zongxian was already a symbolic presence in the court and did not serve as an actual official.

Firstly, he is old, and secondly, he was also a prince back then. If Li Shimin hadn't notified in advance that the fifth-rank officials and above must be present today, Tian Zongxian, the Shangzhuguo, might not come to court.

Tian Zongxian's son Tian Shikang is now the governor of Qianzhou, so he took his eldest grandson Tian Yangming in the capital.

Tian Yangming, whose name is Ziguang, became an official a few years ago because of his family background, and served as the head of the right prison gate, ranking in the seventh rank.

Tian Yangming, who is in his early twenties, has no achievements at all. He is the head of the prison and guards the palace. I have to say that reincarnation is really a science.

Tian Zongxian heard Li Shimin's sudden question, and realized that he hurriedly agreed.

This old man is very shrewd. For the sake of future generations, he took the initiative to ask to join the court. No matter who he treats, he has a humble attitude. He is a good old man. For a while, people forget that he was the No. 1 Kaiqian. , separatist power in central Guizhou, how majestic that is.

Li Shimin was very satisfied with such sensible princes as Tian Zongxian, Du Fuwei, and Wang Hua. He immediately twisted his beard and said with a smile: "I still remember that when Youzhi recruited Guizhou, he had a deep friendship with Ziguang. It’s not good to have no help.”

After finishing speaking, Li Shimin thought for a while and said: "Tian Yangming was granted the magistrate of Panyu County, and also the head of Guangzhou Shipbuilding Department".

Tian Zongxian was happy when he heard the words, and thanked him immediately.

The county magistrate of Panyu and the head of the city shipping department are all officials of the sixth rank. Tian Yangming is now the head of the prison gate of the seventh rank. It is not too much for Li Shimin to mention him as the county magistrate of the sixth rank of the city.

And it is enough to see that Li Shimin's reuse of the Tian family, after all, the emerging department of the Shibo Department is destined to have a bright future/money.

Gao Chong also showed joy when he heard the words, Li Shimin is really interesting, Tian Yangming has a good relationship with him, and Tian Yangming was transferred to Guangzhou to serve as the county magistrate of Panyu. In this way, after Gao Chong arrived in Guangzhou, Tian Yangming would fully cooperate and will Much less drag.

After the disintegration of the court, Gao Chong received many congratulations. If there is no accident, as long as Gao Chong does not make mistakes in Lingnan, and he is a few years older, he can return to Jingdeng Pavilion to pay respects. Without retreating, the power of the Gao family is so terrifying that they cannot be underestimated.

Gao Chong responded with a smile. Seeing Tian Zongxian coming forward with a hunched body, Gao Chong immediately went up to help him, "Mr. Hui Guang, you are well."

Tian Zongxian patted Gao Chong's hand with a smile, his face was full of wrinkles, and said with a smile: "Thanks to Youzhi, I can live a good few years.

Yauzhi, there is no need to talk politely between you and me, since that kid has followed you, if he dares to go against you, you can just slap him."

"Hui Guang's public words are serious", Gao Chong admired this old man from the bottom of his heart, he was sober in the world, and he was sober, "Don't worry about my relationship with Zi Guang."

After personally helping Tian Zongxian, who was over seventy years old, to board the carriage, Gao Chong looked back and saw Xue Yuanjing behind him.

"Yuzhi, my uncle wants to see you," Xue Yuanjing whispered in his ear.

Gao Chong nodded slightly, bid farewell to some Beijing officials on the left and right, and then boarded Xue Yuanjing's carriage.

"How is brother?"

Entering the carriage, I immediately felt a rush of heat, and the small stove on the desk was boiling tea.

Xue Yuanjing poured Gao Chong a cup of tea, heaved a long sigh, and just shook his head.

Gao Chong frowned, "What do you mean by shaking your head? What did Old God Sun say?"

"Sun Daochang said that at most it will last until the beginning of spring," Xue Yuanjing showed bitterness.

Gao Chong remained silent and did not speak again. The two of them were relatively silent until they arrived at Xue's residence.

The room was quite warm, but there was always a pungent smell of medicine. Xue Shou couldn't get out of bed, so he had to lean on the bed.

Xue Yuanjing had already told Xue Ting about the court meeting this morning, and Xue Shou grinned and said, "Du Yan should, should be notorious this time."

Gao Chong felt a little sour in his heart, and just said: "He also has this awareness, so it doesn't matter."

Xue Shou nodded and sighed: "He is not simple. He was originally a minister of the enemy country, and he forcibly walked out of his own way."

"Don't mention him anymore," Gao Chong stepped forward and sat by the bed, "Brother, you called me, do you have any instructions for Lingnan affairs?"

Gao Chong also didn't say any false words about taking care of his body, because he knew that Xue Shou's body was naturally weak.

After countless consultations with imperial doctors and multiple diagnoses and treatments by the old immortal Sun Simiao, so many famous experts are still at a loss. It can be seen that there is no way to save the day. After all, there are no gods in the world, let alone panacea. Life, old age, illness and death are really helpless.

"You are still so alert," Xue Shou's pale face evoked a smile, "Nothing can be hidden from you."

Then he reached out to take a booklet from the other side, handed it to Gao Chong solemnly, and signaled Gao Chong to open it and have a look.

Gao Chong didn't know why, so he opened it, and saw the book on the title page: Roster of Lingnan Dark Guards, his eyes froze immediately, and he closed the booklet.

"Brother, this..." Gao Chong was a little surprised, "I don't think this is appropriate."

Xue Shou was very satisfied with Gao Chong's performance, "Don't worry, this is not my own opinion, it is the meaning of a saint."

Gao Chong looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

"Lingnan is too remote, and the development of Weifengwei is slow. So far, there are only more than [-] people in eight prefectures and ninety prefectures, such as Qinzhou, Jiaozhou and other places, and there is no progress. It is also my inability to do things."

As Xue Shou raised his hand to stop Gao Chong from speaking, he continued: "The sage came to see me last night, and he has decided to set up Weifengwei alone. It will be very difficult for you to go to Lingnan. I hope these three hundred people can give you some advice. At the same time, the saint also hopes that you can develop Weifengwei in Lingnan."

After Gao Chong listened to it, he understood from the bottom of his heart. Just now he was surprised that Wei Fengwei was a sharp weapon in Li Shimin's hands. How dare Xue Shou give him the Lingnan roster.

Although he has never interfered with Weifengwei's affairs, Gao Chong also knows that the current Weifengwei is very large. Taking Gyeonggi as an example, there are no fewer than thousands of people, which is already the size of several high-ranking military mansions. There are only more than [-] people, and the development is indeed slow.

This is also due to the unique humanistic environment in Lingnan. Not to mention the high places in Lingnan, such as Qinzhou and Gaozhou, all of them are dominated by one family, and the clan is bigger than the government. Under such circumstances, it is really not easy to install hidden guards.

"The sage has appointed Huan Fasi as Lingnan Zhonglang General of Weifengwei, who is responsible for all matters of Weifengwei in Lingnan area, and is sent by you."

Xue Shou said cheerfully: "This old Taoist is born to do fine work. Over the years, he has made great contributions, and now he finally has an official career."

"The sage has decided to reveal Weifengwei?" Gao Chong asked with great interest.

Xue Shou smiled and nodded.

"Then brother you?"

"General Weifengwei, Duke Pu, Doctor Jinzi Guanglu", Xue Shou's pale face finally became rosy.

He came from the west ancestral house of the Xue family in Hedong. His ancestor Xue Qiang was unparalleled in strategy, and he was as famous as the famous minister Wang Meng. Zu Yuwen Taiyi married Jinlan, presented him with a chariot and riding a general, and was finally granted the title of Marquis of Fenyin County.

Although he, Xue Shou, does not have holidays, he is already the pillar of the Xue family's western ancestral house with the title of Duke, and Xue Shou is already very satisfied.

Fenyin is at the boundary of Puzhou in the east of the river, that is, within the scope of the ancient state of Pu, and making him the Duke of Pu is regarded as a return to his hometown in fine clothes and a glorious lintel.

Then Gao Chong was taken aback after hearing this, but before he could react, he asked directly, "It's just a general? Weifengwei is equivalent to sixteen guards, so who is the general?"

Xue Shou shook his head and smiled, "You are confused, you are the one who took the name Weifengwei. Who do you think would dare to take such a sensitive position?"

Gao Chong suddenly realized, this is true, Li Er is more powerful than Weifeng, and Weifengwei is in charge of spy operations, this position is very sensitive, and he dare not let others dominate.

(End of this chapter)