Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 44 No one can succeed casually
The person who came out to impeach Niu Xianke was Zhou Ziliang, who was born in Chang'an.When Zhang Jiuling was worshiped as the prime minister, he was recommended by the other party, and Li Longji gave it to an official who supervised the censor.

Zhou Ziliang's position is not high, but his power is not low, even the prime minister can be impeached!The officials of the Yushitai in the Tang Dynasty were themselves the tools used by the imperial power to restrict the power in the system design.

Of course, a tool can only be a tool, and cannot have its own independent ideas, and must be consistent with the thinking of the "master".

Obviously, Zhou Ziliang didn't realize clearly that Li Longji was his master, but Zhang Jiuling was not.

At this juncture, Zhou Ziliang's inaction in impeaching his "immediate boss" Li Shizhi was actually a disguised secret scolding. The officials who recommended Niu Xianke and even Li Longji himself were acting blindly.

It can be said that this big move is to gamble with one's own political life and strive for the persona of a "lone minister" or "direct minister" in order to win the respect of the emperor.

Otherwise, even his immediate boss Li Shizhi was offended, wouldn't he be punished afterwards?

That is obviously impossible.

In other words, Zhou Ziliang has already taken the risk this time!

This is the officialdom of Chang'an. There are countless fame and fortunes here, and there is supreme power for you to absorb.

But it also comes with endless risks.

Li Shizhi, who was the target of impeachment, looked shocked. He didn't understand what was wrong with Zhou Ziliang at all. Normally, he didn't seem to have offended him.

As for Niu Xianke, who was the core of the incident, his face turned blue and red, his head was lowered and he didn't speak, and he didn't know what to say.

This kind of impeachment does not mean that you have bad character and committed crimes, nor does it mean that you have insufficient merit and qualifications.

It's just that the ability is not enough to do it!
It's just so subjective, acrimonious, and doesn't talk about any evidence.

Without the support of cronies, and without taking part in the imperial examinations, Niu Xianke, who has worked so honestly all the way to the center, is speechless.

No matter how much you say, it's useless. Others slandered you and ate three bowls of jelly. Do you have to open your stomach and show them to prove yourself?
"It's all gone, this matter will be discussed tomorrow in Zichen Palace."

Li Longji flicked his sleeves, turned around and left, but he didn't get angry directly.

The other courtiers looked at each other in the banquet hall, and finally left without saying a word, even Niu Xianke left sadly.Only Zhou Ziliang and Zhang Jiuling were left.

"You, you, alas!"

Zhang Jiuling sighed and walked out of the banquet hall in disappointment.

He really didn't want to see Niu Xianke come to power, and felt that Niu Xianke was definitely not qualified for the position of six ministers, let alone prime minister.

But why bring it up at this juncture?

It is true that Zhou Ziliang was supported by Zhang Jiuling, but he did not arrange for this person to apply eye drops to Li Longji!

……

Back in the study of Qinzhengwu Main Building, Li Longji was still angry!
Why did Zhou Ziliang dare to impeach Niu Xianke?Needless to say, of course Zhang Jiuling ordered it.

Otherwise, how dare a supervisory censor push his nose and face like this?

Of course, there is also a tradition of the supervisory censor slapping the emperor in the face. Wei Zheng in the Zhenguan era is a typical example.You can slap the emperor in the face in public, and you can slap the emperor in private. Many people follow this as an example.

Slapping the emperor in the face is a symbol of not fearing power, and has always been praised by "public opinion".Zhou Ziliang's actions may seem outrageous, but in fact they have their internal logic, and they are not random moves.

"Lishi, do you think Niu Xianke can hold the official position of Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry?"

After calming down, Li Longji couldn't help but ask.

Whether it's Zhang Jiuling's previous contradictory words or Zhou Ziliang's bold remonstrance, the core is whether Niu Xianke can serve in the center!
"Niu Xianke is only a small official, how can he be the minister of the court?"

Gao Lishi couldn't help sighing.

Ok?
Li Longji was stunned. He never expected that Gao Lishi would say such a sentence.

"Why do you have the same idea as Mr. Zhang?"

Li Longji asked curiously.

There is no problem with Gao Lishi's loyalty, what Li Longji wants to know is what he thinks in his heart.

"Niu Xianke is not qualified to be my husband. That's because he has no cronies and aid in the government, and the new policies he formulates will definitely not be able to be responded to by everyone.

But why does the imperial court need two prime ministers with clear opinions?How long will it take to fight like that all day long?
Isn't it beautiful that one master and one assistant complement each other? "

Gao Lishi talked about his thoughts.

Li Longji couldn't help but nod. After Zhang Jiuling was dismissed as prime minister, he really needed a weak deputy prime minister to help Li Linfu implement the administrative order.In this way, the court can run smoothly and there will be no vicious fights between left and right ministers.

If there is always a fierce fight, Li Longji still needs to come out to mediate in the end. In this case, all of Li Longji's energy will be involved in these ghostly things, how can he throw off his arms and have fun?

Li Longji believes:
The emperor is rich all over the world, and he wants to use the manpower and material resources of the world to satisfy the emperor's own enjoyment.

Rather than a one-man emperor, exhausted and burdened with the well-being of the people of the world.

After struggling for a lifetime, are you still not allowed to enjoy it?He is over 50 years old, how many years can he live?
Gao Lishi really knows his own thoughts.

Li Longji couldn't help but think.

"That's right, as long as there is one prime minister in the hall, what's the point of having so many people fighting each other?"

Li Longji sighed with emotion.

Zhang Jiuling can't stay, so why not take this opportunity to expel him from the court.

At this moment, a eunuch came into the study and announced that Li Linfu, the left prime minister, asked to see him.

"I knew Brother Nu would definitely come."

Hearing the news, Li Longji laughed loudly.

It was no secret that Li Linfu wanted to get rid of Zhang Jiuling, but he had been waiting for the final decision.Now, with the help of Zhou Ziliang, a "reckless man", Li Linfu is about to strike Zhang Jiuling the final blow.

Although the left prime minister of the Tang Dynasty can achieve his goal even if he does nothing, Zhang Jiuling will definitely be kicked out of the court if there is no accident.

However, since political opponents can be killed directly, why should they pin their hopes on Li Longji?It is not Li Linfu's style to be beaten passively.

Li Longji knew this very well.Zhang Jiuling is straight, so he wants to use it; Li Linfu is wicked, so he wants to use it; Niu Xianke is weak, so he still wants to use it.

These people are all tools of Li Longji.

Since it is a tool, there is only the difference between taking advantage of it and sticking it, there is no distinction between good and evil.

Thinking about some chores in his mind, Li Longji asked someone to prepare a pot of "spring drink" and waited for Li Linfu to come in.

After a while, Li Linfu came in wearing a purple official robe, he didn't change his clothes at all, it was still the same one from the banquet.

"Ge Nu waited outside the palace for a while and then turned back."

Li Longji couldn't help but joked.

"Returning to the saint, it is true. My minister thought of something, which is not appropriate, so I came back to report to the saint."

Li Linfu said very cautiously.

"Isn't it just to criticize Mr. Zhang?"

Li Longji teased nonchalantly.It's an old routine for courtiers to say bad things about each other behind their backs.

Zhang Jiuling was still speaking ill of Niu Xianke in front of him.

"That's not the case. Zhou Ziliang's impeachment of Li Shizhi at the banquet was actually aimed at Niu Xianke. But he dared to say that, but it was not at the instigation of Zhang Xianggong, but there was a secret behind it. Tomorrow, the saint can ask him face to face. real."

Li Linfu said with a straight face.

Why don't you say bad things about Zhang Jiuling?

Li Longji also became serious and put away the smile on his face.

"There is a prophecy book that says: A calf with two horns will go mad, and a dragon and a snake will fight each other and the blood will flow into the river. The calf with two horns is an ox! The dragon and snake will fight each other, which will lead to chaos! The sage will ask Zhou Ziliang tomorrow, and he will definitely take out this book .”

Li Linfu took out a booklet from his sleeve. It was a prophecy written by an "anonymous" and handed it to Li Longji.

This "banned book" has been circulated in Chang'an for a long time, and its scope is also very wide.With the popularization of woodblock printing, there is no technical difficulty in privately printing books.This kind of "prophetic book" is a banned book that is illegally published, and private collection, dissemination, and borrowing are all illegal!

The so-called book of prophecy is that kind of nonsense booklet, which says some inexplicable words and hints at some things.In politics, it is often used to ferment public opinion.

Constrained by the difficulty of dispelling rumors in the feudal era and the low level of education per capita, many people believe in similar things, and some even spread them miraculously
The most famous one is "Tui Bei Tu".

Of course, the style of this booklet is much lower than that of "Tui Bei Tu".

On the surface, these are just nonsense, but they are actually stepping on Li Longji's inverse scale.

"Good! Good! Tomorrow I will personally ask Zhou Ziliang!"

Li Longji's anger came up again.

Having achieved his goal, Li Linfu bowed and stepped back without any hesitation.

With just one strike, Zhang Jiuling and Zhou Ziliang could be sent away together.

Li Linfu waited for tomorrow's storm.

……

There was a court meeting in the spring of the 25th year of Kaiyuan.

Li Longji told the supervisory censor Zhou Ziliang face to face, saying that Niu Xianke had worked hard in Hexi, and his credit was enough to worship the prime minister. If there were no other reasons, Niu Xianke would definitely be appointed by the court as the Minister of the Ministry of Industry.

Zhou Ziliang didn't know it was a trick, so he directly cited the saying in the prophecy book that "the two-horned calf is mad at himself, and the dragon and the snake fight each other to form a river of blood". In principle, Niu Xianke should not be arranged in the center as the six ministers, but should be placed as an official in the local area.

Li Longji was furious, and ordered Zhou Ziliang to be killed on the Zichen Hall of Daming Palace!And because Zhou Ziliang was recommended by Zhang Jiuling, according to the relevant rules of the court, the prime minister should bear joint and several liability for major incidents, and Zhang Jiuling is also suspected of instigating.

Therefore, Li Longji dismissed Zhang Jiuling from the post of prime minister and relegated him to the post of governor of Jingzhou.

Li Linfu temporarily assumed the position of Zhongshuling, and Niu Xianke was appointed Minister of the Ministry of Industry at the same time, and he took office immediately.

As for Zheng Shuqing's concern about who should take over the position of servant of the household department, no one even mentioned it.

That day, Li Linfu had just come down to court, and when he returned from Daming Palace to Pingkangfang where he lived, he saw Uncle Zheng waiting outside the door early in the morning, with a very humble attitude.

Li Linfu liked to deal with such obedient losers, so he quickly called Zheng Shuqing into the house for a detailed discussion.

After the two sat down in the study, Zheng Shuqing took out a list from his cuff, handed it to the other party and said, "The Minister of the Household Department manages the money, but it is for the military supplies on the front line in Hexi. His subordinates don't know much about the situation in Hexi, and there are some account books and the like. The object needs to be checked before there is a way to deal with it, please Li Xiangcheng."

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu took the piece of paper handed over by Zheng Shuqing and read it again and again.

This list covers the distribution of household registration, garrison distribution, transportation arteries distribution, water conservancy facilities distribution, local specialty distribution, etc. in the four prefectures of Hexi (Liangzhou, Suzhou, Ganzhou, and Guazhou).

Of course, just making a request.

"You went to Kuizhou and made great progress. I originally felt uneasy about handing over the position of Minister of Household Affairs to you, but now it seems that you are qualified for the job, but..."

Li Linfu smiled slightly and fell into deep thought again.

"Does Mr. Li think there is anything wrong?"

Zheng Shuqing asked doubtfully.

"There is something wrong, but it's not that what you did was wrong."

Li Linfu sighed and continued:

"The court documents are strictly managed, if you send someone to come back with a few copies of the truth for you to check, it won't hurt.

But you need too many things, not to mention whether you can read it, even if you can read it, you can't get so many documents about Hexi things.

Your idea is good, but the truth cannot satisfy your request.Of course, if you are already working in the sixth department, it is no problem to go to the place where the copy is stored. "

Fang Chongyong did not expect one thing, that is, the center of the Tang Dynasty actually divided powers and responsibilities very finely.Although Li Linfu is powerful, no matter how big he is, he cannot surpass Li Longji.

According to the unspoken rules, Li Linfu could use his power to take a few copies from the place where the archives were stored and take them home to read. The Right Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty did not have this power at all.

But what would it look like if Li Linfu ordered someone to drag a cart full of copywriting books home for Zheng Shuqing to check?
Wanting to understand this, Zheng Shuqing scolded Fang Chongyong in his heart for his lack of hair and incompetence in doing things, and he didn't even consider such common sense.

Of course, he himself was a fool and never thought about this.

"However, this matter is not difficult to solve."

Li Linfu said slowly that he was in a good mood today, and finally sent his political opponent Zhang Jiuling to Jingxiang for fishing, so naturally he didn't mind talking to Zheng Shuqing.

"Let Xiang Li show me!"

Zheng Shuqing bowed and saluted.

"Today, Niu Xianke was appointed by the sage as Minister of the Ministry of Industry. He is helpless in the court, and it is time to find an ally. The truth is now to write a book, and you take it to Niu Xianke, and ask him about the people in Hexi That's it.

Niu Xianke started as a small official in Hexi and has been operating for decades.He must know what is on the copybook, and he probably knows what is not on the copybook.With Niu Xianke's advice, you can write another recital to the truth, and the matter will be settled. "

Li Linfu nodded slightly and touched the long beard on his chin.

Don't look at Li Linfu who is now serving as the prime minister on the left and the prime minister on the right, but this is only temporary.It is only a matter of time before Li Longji reappoints the left prime minister.Niu Xianke is not a long-term minister of the Ministry of Industry.

Li Linfu sent Zheng Shuqing to find Niu Xianke, killing two birds with one stone!
Firstly, it provides support to his cronies, and secondly, he draws closer to Niu Xianke.

After Niu Xianke becomes the prime minister, this honest man will not hinder his own government orders. In this way, his comfortable life will come.

"Thank you, Li Xiang, for reminding me, my subordinates really can't repay you!"

Zheng Shuqing was excited to give a big gift to Li Linfu.

"Please wait for a moment. I'll tell you the truth first by writing a letter."

Li Linfu said with a smile, that look is very kind.

(End of this chapter)