Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 209 Silver Spear Filial Piety Festival

"Ge Nu! How dare you deceive me!"

As soon as Li Linfu arrived, Brother Ji said something incomprehensible.

At this moment, in the corridor on the second floor of Huaxe Xianghui Building, the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind.Fang Youde, Gao Lishi, Li Shizhi and others around Li Longji remained silent, waiting for Li Linfu's answer.

"Back to the sage, I don't know if I have done anything to deceive the king. Please ask the sage to tell me. If it is true, I will ask the sage to punish me."

Li Linfu took off his official hat and placed it on the ground, bowed and saluted with his hands crossed, his attitude was extremely humble.

"I ask you, do you know about the civil unrest in Yangzhou, the water workers and weavers attacking the county seat, killing officials and rebelling?"

Li Longji asked coldly.

"Back to the saint, I have heard a little bit about this matter. However, there is no report of civil unrest in Yangzhou Prefecture. Please keep a close eye on it, saint."

Li Linfu said slowly.

"Yangzhou Governor Yang Zhao was killed, and you, the prime minister, didn't even know! Ge Nu, how did you become the right minister of the Tang Dynasty!"

Brother Ji seemed to have a very bad temper today, but it was more like "excusing himself".

"Back to the saint, Wei Chen is about to report the murder of the governor of Yangzhou, but the matter may be different from what the saint thought. Wei Chen thinks it is better to let Fang Jieshuai do the talking."

As Li Linfu spoke, he looked at the old god Fang Youde beside him and bowed to Li Longji again.

"Quan Zhong, do you also know about this?"

Li Longji turned around and asked Fang Youdedao beside him.

"Back to the saint, Yang Zhao preyed on the people and harmed everyone. The civil riots in Yangzhou were all caused by him, and the slogan shouted by the rioters was to chop Yang Zhao alive. Wei Chen returned to Chang'an from Lingnan and passed through Yangzhou when he happened to encounter the civil riots , he went to Yangzhou City to organize and train the troops to quell the chaos.

The minister had no soldiers, so he had no choice but to kill Yang Zhao in front of the rebels, and took the opportunity to launch a general attack and put down the rebellion in one fell swoop.

After returning to Chang'an, he encountered Li Heng's rebellion again, and the minister had no choice but to persuade the Nanya Imperial Army to quell the rebellion.

Many affairs came one after another, which overwhelmed the ministers, and they had no time to report to the saint and ask for his forgiveness. "

Fang Youde crossed his hands and saluted and said, in a few words, he completely shied away the responsibility.

I am determined to Yangzhou and second to Chang'an. Now you ask me why I want to kill Yang Zhao?

If I don't kill this guy, I will definitely have to stay in Yangzhou to suppress the rebellion, and I will definitely not be able to come to Chang'an.If I don't come to Chang'an, you, the dog emperor, will be cold. Why are you talking like a chicken here?

Although Fang Youde's words were subtle, they made Li Longji's face turn red and white.

If Yang Zhao dies, he will die. If everyone doesn't mention it, it will be over. It will look good in terms of face.Fang Youde killed Yang Zhao in the front and suppressed the rebellion in Chang'an in the back. Fortunately, he acted quickly!

If he was a step too slow, it would be a matter of debate whether he, a saint of the Tang Dynasty, would still be able to laugh to the end.

"Good kill, really good kill!

Yang Zhao has been bragging to me before, saying that he manages money well, but I was deceived by this thief.

Quanzhong did a good deed for the country and for me. "

Li Longji said without blushing, almost gritting his teeth at Yang Zhao in his words.

The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty had selectively forgotten that two months ago, Yang Zhao sent someone to send him the last offering, worth 300 million yuan.It was said that it was sent to celebrate the saint's birthday, but it was almost ignored in the local area.

It was this bottomless search that completely forced the Weavers and Cao workers, who were highly organized in the local area, to rebel.

To Brother Ji, Yang Zhao is like a good dog that knows how to do things. It's good to be alive, but if he dies due to an accident, then... just get a new one. It's not a big deal.

Everyone is dead, what else do you want?Who are you crying for?
At this moment, Brother Ji was very honest in his heart. His grief for Yang Zhao's death was almost like hearing that one of the palace dogs raised in the forbidden garden had died. It was almost better than nothing.

"I have summoned all my dear friends to come here today. There is really an important matter that I want to discuss with you."

Li Longji sighed softly and continued: "Li Heng's rebellion has been punished by the whole family. Even so, my heart is extremely sad."

He shook his head as he spoke, with a sad look on his face, as if he was really heartbroken.

Seeing this scene, everyone present saluted very cooperatively and said: "Please express my condolences to the saint. It is important to take care of the dragon body."

"That's it."

Li Longji waved his hand helplessly and continued: "Li Heng conspired to commit rebellion and committed a heinous crime. He is just a master who never forgets the past and the future. How do you manage the Ten Kings' House and how do my children and grandchildren manage it? What do you think?"

coming!

Li Linfu and others' hearts tightened, and they clenched their fists subconsciously.

Not only did this question not surprise them, but everyone knew before they came what questions Li Longji would ask today.

After all, Li Heng rebelled, King Xue rebelled, his relative Wei Shi was involved, and there were rumors that King Shou kidnapped the saint at the wedding banquet.If Brother Ji had not dealt with these messes inside and out and had not taken remedial measures afterwards, then his years as emperor would have been in vain.

Anyone whose brain is not completely broken will seek countermeasures from important ministers at this time.

"Sage, Wei Chen thinks that we can strengthen the management of Zongzheng Temple and strengthen the surveillance of the ten kings' residences to prevent similar incidents from happening."

Li Linfu said to Li Longji with folded hands and a salute.

In fact, he didn't have any good ideas, he just said it casually.Regarding the conflict between the emperor and the princes, as a distant relative of the clan, what could Li Linfu say?What could he say?

Is it something that a "little guy" like him can interfere with?
"Gonu, what are you talking about?"

Li Longji stood up, pointed at Li Linfu and yelled angrily.

"Please forgive me, saint."

Li Linfu was so frightened that he quickly knelt on the ground.

"That's all, don't mention those cliches of yours.

When Li Heng rebelled, what happened to Shiwangzhai and what did Zongzheng Temple do?

I am not the emperor, so I have no influence on them!There is no need to mention these words from now on! "

Li Longji scolded Li Linfu in a cold tone, then raised the board high and put it down gently without any punitive measures.

The Ten Princes' Residence is where the princes live, but it is like house arrest without any personal freedom.

However, does this completely eliminate rebellion?Judging from Li Heng's plan this time, this is not the case.The princes cannot move, but the dignitaries of Chang'an can!These activities were extremely powerful. The princes were right next to the palace, and the coup simply crossed the barrier of distance.

The Tang Dynasty was the Tang Dynasty of Li Longji, but it was also the Tang Dynasty of the powerful, especially the Guanlong nobles.

Keeping the princes in Chang'an has one of the biggest harms to Brother Ji, which is that it reduces the cost of rebellion for the powerful to the point where anyone with some strength can attack them.

The first step is to briefly control Brother Ji.

The second step is to support a prince living in Chang'an.

The third step was to issue the edict of abdication and the edict of enthronement, and subdue the imperial troops in Chang'an.

This has become standard procedure.

As long as the princes are still in Chang'an City, it is almost inevitable that they will become the banner of rebellion for the powerful in the future.

The Northern Wei Dynasty is a vivid example. After Emperor Xiaowen Yuanhong and before the Erzhu Ronghe Yin Revolution, all the clans living in Luoyang were restless. It became the norm to collude with powerful officials to rebel. In the end, the incompetent Empress Dowager Hu Women of the female stream ascend to the throne.

It is only 200 years since the story of the Northern Wei Dynasty passed. “Sage, in all dynasties, the management of royal relatives has not been an easy task.

Generally speaking, the princes are either sent to one place or concentrated in the capital.Both have advantages and disadvantages and cannot be generalized. "

Suddenly, Fang Youde crossed his hands and saluted Brother Ji.

"Quan Zhong's words make sense."

Li Longji nodded slightly and said.

Fang Youde's words were mature and prudent words, so how could Brother Ji not understand it.

It is not convenient for Li Linfu to say many things because he is also a member of the clan.But there is no obstacle to a close confidant like Fang Youde. After all, whether the prince is released or not has almost no direct impact on Fang Youde.

Brother Ji knows in his heart that many things are objective laws and will not fundamentally change due to human will.Throughout the dynasties, the relationship between emperors and princes has been difficult to get along with, and the models for managing the clan can generally be divided into two types.

The first is the enfeoffment system between princes and clans since the Han Dynasty. Princes who reach adulthood must be released from the capital to prevent them from remaining in the capital and posing a threat to the emperor himself.

The second way is to do the opposite, which is to confine the prince and the clan within the fifth service to the capital, and let Zongzheng Temple manage their general affairs, and basically not let them go outside.

So, which one is better?

The first type was implemented in the early Tang Dynasty, and the second type was implemented since the Wu Zhou Dynasty. Since the Kaiyuan Dynasty, Ji Ge has strengthened the second type, and has become more and more strict in the management of princes and close clan families.

I thought everything was beautiful, but it is obvious that judging from the rebellion between Li Heng and King Xue, no system can guarantee that the princes will not rebel, and there is no perfect system.

"Then which one does Quan Zhong think is better?"

Li Longji looked at Fang Youde with burning eyes and asked.

"Back to the saint, I think it's better to let the prince go."

Fang Youde crossed his hands and saluted.

Before Li Longji could speak, the fiery Li Shizhi immediately intervened and angrily shouted: "That's nonsense! If we release all the princes from Chang'an, wouldn't we be encouraging them to rebel! In the long run, the country will no longer be a country!"

Li Shizhi himself was impatient. As soon as he heard Fang Youde's words, he knew that things were going to be bad!
Now that the princes are imprisoned in the Ten Princes' Residence, these people are still dissatisfied with Li Longji, and their intention to replace them is obvious.So if these people are released from Chang'an and new local forces are formed after opening offices and offices in various places, it will definitely be a matter of time before they raise troops to rebel!

"A sage must be virtuous and don't listen to his words! The princes can still suppress them in Chang'an, but if they are released outside, they will be like a fish entering the sea and a tiger returning to the mountain!"

Li Shizhi quickly knelt down and kowtowed to Li Longji, begging him not to listen to Fang Youde's "slanderous words."

"I have my own claim."

Li Longji waved his hand and motioned for Li Shizhi to stand up.Then he looked at Fang Youde and asked, "What did Quanzhong say?"

"Return to the sage and ask the princes to move out of Chang'an, but not far away, and only settle in the prefectures and counties around Chang'an.

At the same time, their power is restricted, and they are not allowed to hold official positions such as governor, military envoy, etc., and they are not allowed to enter Chang'an unless they are ordered to do so.To enter the capital, you must first obtain the approval of the saint before entering Chang'an, and you are not allowed to enter the city with your trusted followers. "

Fang Youde briefly and concisely expressed his thoughts.

To put it bluntly, it means kicking all the princes out of Chang'an like a ball, but not too far, settling in the vicinity of Chang'an, and not giving them the opportunity to hold official positions.

If you are not in Chang'an, you cannot be used by the powerful to find opportunities to rebel.You know, as an old man, Li Longji, if something happened to him and he fell into a coma and was unable to act, it would be easy for the princes who were nearby to find an opportunity to cause trouble.

And this threshold is very low, even so low that a prince like Shou Wang who has lost his power can take risks.

This is the benefit of kicking the princes out of Chang'an. Of course, this move is only beneficial to Brother Ji. Whether it is beneficial to Datang is another matter.

Then, arranging the princes around Chang'an can minimize the risk of the princes rebelling.If they want to rebel, they can't even find a capable general!There is no way to gather enough force under Brother Ji's nose.

After all, they were outside Chang'an City and many things were inconvenient.The outer city of Chang'an itself is a "natural hazard" with a high threshold, which will greatly increase the cost of rebellion for the princes.

Of course, it would be hard to say if these princes were placed in places like Youzhou and Liangzhou.

It can be said that Fang Youde's suggestions are indeed possible to be implemented, and are not "magic words to confuse the public" as Li Shizhi said.

Isn’t that how the Tang Dynasty came here?
However, now that the prince has been exposed, who can predict what will happen in the future?

What Li Shizhi is worried about is the long-term worries in the future, not the upcoming immediate worries.

"After three days, let's discuss this matter at the court meeting."

Li Longji waved his hand and said, without saying which of the two methods was good and which was bad.

After all the ministers left, Fang Youde was left alone by Li Longji, and the two came to the newly renovated imperial study room to discuss.

"Quan Zhong, today's suggestion is not quite like your past style. But is there any inside story?"

After the two sat down, Li Longji said tiredly.

"The saint, the humble minister's opinion is for the Tang Dynasty's centenary plan, not just for the saint."

Fang Youde saluted Li Longji with his hands crossed.

"I know you are loyal and loyal, but how do you say this?"

"Back to the saint, the management of the ten kings' houses is certainly easier, and it seems to be able to control the desires of the kings.

However, in the long run, the prince may not be abolished. The princes also need to compete and motivate themselves.If they were kept in the Ten Kings' House all the time, I'm afraid... they would be inferior to the unworthy children of ordinary noble families in the future. "

Fang Youde bravely said this, which was quite taboo.However, he and Fang Chongyong discussed this for a long time, and Fang Chongyong was very convinced that Li Longji now just wanted to keep his unscrupulous people far away, out of sight and out of mind.

Or kill them all.

It's just that the latter possibility is relatively small.

"Quan Zhong's words are deeply rooted in my heart. I also think so. Letting the prince go outside may cause disaster in Xiao Qiang, but... it will not turn them into pigs and dogs.

It’s just that I’m old and can’t handle them anymore.Does Quan Zhong have a good plan to deal with it? "

Li Longji asked with a tired look.

Fang Youde thought for a while, and finally crossed his hands and saluted and said, "There are rumors that the saint and King Shou are at odds, so I asked the saint to make King Shou the crown prince."

"Shou Wang..."

Li Longji thought for a while and suddenly froze, realizing that this move was really wonderful!
First, set up King Shou as a target and let all his sons stare at King Shou!Because of this incident, all the princes basically hated King Shou to the core, and there was no way anyone would seek refuge with him.

In addition, Prince Shou had little power in the court, and his mother was Concubine Wu Hui, which would remind courtiers of the twisted years dominated by Wu Zetian.

In short, Prince Shou is now the weakest and least popular prince in the court!
No matter who inherits the throne, that person will definitely not be King Longevity Li Xuan!

Set this target up first, and then slowly train younger princes.This move seems... very exciting!
"You go back and think about it first, and we'll talk about it at the court meeting in three days."

Li Longji said noncommittally.Although he had confirmed in his heart that he approved Fang Youde's suggestion, he still wanted to make a decision after the court meeting and first see what the ministers in the court said.

"Then I will retire, Your Majesty, please take care of the dragon body."

Fang Youde bowed to Li Longji with folded hands and slowly stepped back.When I walked out of Xingqing Palace, I realized that my back was already wet with cold sweat.

"Fang Chongyong, that bastard, what kind of bad idea did he come up with? He actually proposed to establish a longevity king!"

There was no one around, so Fang Youde couldn't help but whisper, mentally scolding Fang Chongyong for "teaching advice face to face" behind his back.

(End of this chapter)