Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 633: Are you sure the emperor is ripe?
Fang Zhongyong looked at Gao Shang, who had come to visit him rashly, with some doubt. Gao Shang was sitting at the desk in the government office, writing the "Five-Year Development Outline". Seeing this, he could not help but be a little confused.

He didn't remember informing Li Lin of anything important recently.

If there was anything to say, it seemed to be just a routine matter, informing the other party that the first imperial examination would be held in Bianzhou at the turn of summer and autumn this year.

This matter was not a secret, after all, the government even posted notices everywhere. But no one knew why Li Lin sent Gao Shang here.

"Tell me, why did the emperor send you here?"

Fang Zhongyong put the brush on the pen holder and rubbed his sore wrist. It must be said that writing a plan with a brush is really tiring.

"The emperor asked me to tell the right prime minister that now is not a good time to hold the imperial examination. It will not be too late to hold the imperial examination after the world is pacified."

Gao Shang said expressionlessly. Fang Zhongyong couldn't tell whether he was happy or angry, nor could he tell what the other person was thinking.

"Then you can go back and tell the emperor that the imperial examination is the hundred-year national policy of our Tang Dynasty, and we cannot do without it.

If the emperor is worried that I will mess up the job, he can let Wei Zichun participate in it.

Now it has been announced to the world, like an arrow shot from a bow, and it cannot be changed.

If the notice is withdrawn, it would be tantamount to breaking the trust of the people of the world.

The emperor doesn't want to be a man who doesn't keep his word, right? "

Fang Zhongyong said with a smile, and fought back Gao Shang's words.

No imperial examination?

What is going on!

Not to mention that this concerns Fang Zhongyong's talent layout for the next ten years, even if it has been announced to the world, it cannot be withdrawn!

Otherwise, the credibility of the Bianzhou government, which has gradually established its prestige, will be completely destroyed.

No matter what decrees Fang Chongyong issues in the future, no one will take it seriously.

Li Lin, this guy, thought he was just playing house!

Fang Zhongyong cursed inwardly.

"In that case, I will go back and tell the emperor the truth."

Gao Shang spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, and never said anything angry, nor did he express any dissatisfaction to the other party Chongyong.

"Walk slowly without sending."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand gently, too lazy to say any more.

Gao Shang slowly left the government office's study and then let out a long sigh.

Life is so helpless.

What you think is not important, what matters is what these big shots think!
Li Lin refused to believe in evil and had to come here to try his luck. As expected, Fang Qing did not agree and could not agree.

Gao Shang thought to himself that he had so much grievances but didn't know who to talk to.

What else could he do?

Li Lin's eldest son, Li Wei, has lived in Kaifeng City since he was appointed crown prince last time. Fang Chongyong arranged a large mansion for him as the "crown prince's palace"!
This is one of the reasons why Fang Zhongyong can control Li Lin. As long as Li Lin is disobedient, then Li Wei, the substitute, will soon be able to take over.

However, everything has a price. What is the price for Li Wei to be the crown prince?

The answer is that the army that was originally under his command is now under the command of Li Xian, the eldest son of King Xin'an.

This appointment may seem insignificant, but it is actually very important because under Li Xian's "cover", Fang Zhongyong arranged for some old soldiers of the Silver Spear Xiejie Army to join this army.

As Li Xian's personal guard and instructor, in the future, Li Lin's so-called "confidants" will be gradually squeezed out.

To put it simply, the price Li Wei paid for becoming the crown prince was to give up the only army that Li Lin still held, which was currently stationed in Qizhou!
To outsiders, Li Wei was a son who sold his father's land without any regret.

But from Li Wei's perspective, even with that small group of troops, he might not be able to control his troops, let alone guarantee that this army would not be infiltrated by Fang Zhongyong's men.

Moreover, if chaos breaks out in the future, it will be difficult to ensure that I will have the last laugh with just this small group of ragtag troops.

Since he could become the crown prince by handing over the military power, why not do it? As for the future, who knows what it will be like?
Li Wei just wants to seize the day!
It was because Gao Shang knew these things that he thought Li Lin’s ideas were naive.

Putting aside Gao Shang's inner thoughts, after he left, Fang Chongyong called Yan Zhuang into the study, and the two discussed Li Lin's attempt to obstruct the imperial examination.

"This emperor is really worse than a dog. He does nothing but bark like a dog!"

After listening to Fang Zhongyong's narration, Yan Zhuang said with a look of resentment that he hated Li Lin for meddling in other people's business.

"Gao Shang must have seen through Ben Xiang's plan. He explained it to the emperor, and the emperor couldn't help but want to stop it."

Fang Zhongyong sneered.

In theory, the imperial examination was actually a good opportunity for the emperor to win the hearts of the people. If Li Lin could grasp the real power and do it himself, it would not be impossible for him to take this opportunity to build up his power.

However, power is always accompanied by obligations. Power permeates relevant affairs, and there is no so-called "power" that is separated from specific affairs.

If you don't participate in specific affairs, you can't really get the corresponding real power. Even if you get nominal power, it will be undermined by the people below. If Li Lin can get the information of every candidate who takes the exam, he can promise benefits to some people and guarantee that they will pass the exam.

That will naturally win people's hearts!

Moreover, if Li Lin really wanted to do such a thing, I'm afraid Fang Chongyong would not be able to stop him openly.

At that time, they would have no choice but to spread some "rumors" to the outside world, saying that the emperor was nepotism and had decided on the list of candidates for the imperial examinations in advance.

When public resentment boils over, Fang Chongyong will come out to clean up the mess, cancel the imperial examination, and hold it again a month later.

After his last promise was broken, Li Lin found someone else to use the same trick again, but I'm afraid the candidates no longer believe him.

Of course, this is not what Fang Zhongyong wants to see, but he definitely has the skills and courage to clean up the situation.

However, Li Lin couldn't even perform such a small trick.

It’s not that Fang Chongyong looked down on him, but this emperor who was forcibly promoted to the throne had great ambitions but little talent, and was not fit to be an emperor.

"Right Prime Minister, we must teach that dog emperor a lesson, lest he think too much."

Yan Zhuang looked gloomy and suggested in a low voice.

Hearing this, Fang Zhongyong suddenly became interested, crossed his arms and asked meaningfully, "So what's your trick?"

Yan Zhuang smiled evilly, pointed at the clothes Fang Zhongyong was wearing and said:
"Since arriving in Bianzhou, the Right Prime Minister has only had three sets of clothes, and except for his official robes, all other clothes are coarse linen.

He ate no more than one meat dish, two vegetable dishes, three side dishes, and one soup; he traveled on horseback instead of a carriage; he had no more than a few servants at home.

Now that the great cause is just beginning, even the right prime minister is so frugal, which is truly admirable.

On the other hand, the emperor would wear nothing but brocade robes, ride nothing but horse-drawn carriages, live in a large house, and eat the most delicious seafood at every meal.

He had no less than a hundred eunuchs, no less than a hundred palace maids, and dozens of concubines around him, and he reveled every night.

The emperor's spending is so extravagant, shouldn't he reduce it?

The Right Prime Minister hasn't even started to enjoy himself, so why should the dog emperor be able to just lie down and enjoy himself?"

Yan Zhuang asked calmly.

Fang Chongyong understood immediately.

I have to say, the person in front of me is really full of bad intentions.

How should you prank someone?
A man who likes women should be surrounded by strong men.

People who love gourmet food should be fed with bland, coarse grains, the same for every meal.

A lazy person should be given endless work to do, and a person who likes to play should be forced to work hard every day.

This is called playing a prank on someone, this is called "playing into someone's interests".

Li Lin was a person who loved pleasure and pomp.

Therefore, Fang Chongyong had already guessed Yan Zhuang's strategy without him even saying anything.

"Are you going to cut off the emperor's offerings?"

Fang Zhongyong asked with a conflicted look on his face, almost laughing out loud.

"The emperor should be a role model for the people of the world. I think that the dog emperor is still dressed too well, eats too well, has too many concubines, too many maids, and too many eunuchs.

The Right Prime Minister should also know that we spend a lot of money to support these people. Wouldn't it be better to save this money and spend it on what should be spent?
For example, the emperor has hundreds of eunuchs, and I think ten are enough, and the same goes for the palace maids.

As for concubines, they were either ordered to be sent back to their hometowns or the financial support they received was reduced.

Seeing the emperor act like this, the civil and military officials of Bianzhou will applaud. If the people of other states and counties know about this, they will also take this as an example, right? "

Yan Zhuang said confidently.

Li Lin was so angry that he actually wanted to stop the imperial examination. This behavior was a serious challenge to Fang Zhongyong's authority, and it was necessary to resolutely suppress this tendency!
The world is not yet at peace, so shouldn't the emperor be a little frugal?

After hearing these words, Fang Chongyong wanted to applaud Yan Zhuang.

Otherwise, why do people say that intellectuals are full of bad intentions?

Yan Zhuang's move was a slap in the face, but Li Lin couldn't say anything. Once it was spread that he was unwilling to live a frugal life, it would be Li Lin who would be embarrassed.

Is struggle easy? Struggle is not easy at all.

Fang Zhongyong, who had put his life and property on the line, was also desperately trying to save money and not think about improving his life. If you want to struggle, don't think about enjoying things.

One should not forget righteousness when seeing small gains, and one should not cherish one's life when doing great things.

"That is indeed the case. However, we still need to hold a court meeting for all the ministers to discuss this matter."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently and said.

If he were to bring it up, it would be suspected of "threatening the emperor."

But at the "court meeting", everyone said that the emperor should live frugally. If Li Lin refused again, he would probably be speechless.

Fang Chongyong recalled the scene in the middle and late Ming Dynasty when the emperor was controlled by the civil service group, and he understood Yan Zhuang's proposal.

……

"what do you mean!"

Inside the signing room on the city wall of Shouchun City, Lai Chen, the military commander of Shouzhou, angrily crumpled up Li Qi's handwritten letter and threw it to the ground!
This man was of great build, with a thick beard on his face, strong arms, and the ability to draw a strong bow.

He is one of the few generals under Li Qi who can personally go into battle and kill the enemy.

Gao Shi picked up the letter on the ground, sighed and said, "I understand General Lai's feelings very well. But the Xuanwu Army has already conquered Zhongli. What can General Lai do even if he can defend Shouzhou? The entire Huai River is not just a strategic location like Shouchun!"

After he unfolded the letter, he handed it to Lai Chen with a very sincere attitude.

"Ugh!"

Lai Zhen sat down on the stone bench and sighed.

"General, His Royal Highness Prince Sheng intends to transfer you back to Yangzhou to guard it. As for whether you should go back, I am only here to seek your opinion."

Gao Shi said very politely.

But Lai Zhen understood that Gao Shi being polite to him did not mean that he could act arrogantly. No matter what, Li Qi was the current governor of Huainan.

The current situation in the world is very delicate, and Prince Sheng Li Qi also feels that he is in imminent danger.

"Come back to Yangzhou."

Lai Zhen clasped his fists and bowed to Gao Shi, saying that he finally compromised.

In fact, Gao Shi also understood Lai Zhen's inner hesitation and struggle.

Now, including Prince Sheng Li Qi, they are all very confused and do not know what to do in the face of the complicated situation.

The "legitimacy" of the Tang Dynasty no longer existed, and several princes declared themselves emperors and fought for the throne.

Li Qi and his gang don’t know who to listen to.

They want to be independent, but they feel they don't have the strength to do so, and they don't want to destroy themselves. They want to seek refuge, but they do so out of face or because they are worried about being liquidated later.

So we just have to wait one day at a time.

"General Lai, whether it's Li Lu or Li Lin, if they fight in the future, Shouzhou, as a strategic location, will definitely be the scene of prolonged fighting.

Going back to Yangzhou may not be a bad thing. "

Gao Shi persuaded patiently.

Starting from the grassroots level, he has more empathy than ordinary literati and can understand other people's feelings.

Lai Zhen nodded helplessly. What else could he say?

The dilemma he faced was actually the same as Li Qi's. Even if he didn't retreat and held on to Shouzhou, what would happen?
If Li Qi had also proclaimed himself emperor in Yangzhou, they could have gotten the credit for following the emperor. But Li Qi was still only the governor of Huainan, and their situation was quite awkward.

"General, please leave as soon as possible. I will be here to take charge of the handover of the city. The Xuanwu Army has already withdrawn from Zhongli City. I have already made arrangements with them when I came here."

Gao Shi said to Lai Zhen.

Along the way, he demonstrated his superb diplomatic skills and explained all the reasons clearly. When Fang Chongyong learned about this, he immediately ordered He Changqi to lead his troops to withdraw from Zhongli City to show his sincerity.

Of course, if Lai Zhen persists in his rebellion, the situation will probably be different.

On that very day, Lai Chen led five thousand soldiers and horses calmly towards the east.

Li Guangbi, who was on the other side of the Huai River, watched him leave, and then the Hexi army took over Shouchun without bloodshed.

Throughout the whole process, there is nothing worth mentioning except that Gao Shi's calmness is somewhat admirable.

After sending Gao Shi away, Li Guangbi called Hao Tingyu to the study in Shouzhou government office to drink alone.

After a few cups of wine, Li Guangbi complained to Hao Tingyu unwillingly, "I originally wanted to attack Shouchun with water, build a dam, let the water level rise, and then the big ships will be flush with the city wall, and the elite soldiers can fight it down! I didn't expect that General Fang would attack Shouchun with his military strategy first and then his diplomacy, so there is no need to fight."

Fang Chongyong used diplomatic means, coercion and inducement to capture Shouchun City, which is certainly a good thing.

But it is true that Li Guangbi made little contribution and his efforts were in vain.

The overall interest and personal interest are sometimes not completely consistent.

"General Jie, actually, there is still a way to remedy this situation."

Hao Tingyu said in a low voice.

Li Guangbi was stunned. He didn't know what else he could do to remedy the situation.

If Shouchun is taken, Shouzhou will be taken, and the rest is just plundering of land.

It's not much harder than sweeping the floor in the house with a broom.

"What trick?"

Li Guangbi asked in a deep voice.

"We quietly took over Gwangju, west of Shouju."

Hao Tingyu said slowly.

Seeing Li Guangbi was silent, Hao Tingyu then suggested:
"What we lack now is nothing more than military merit, and it doesn't mean that we must capture Shouzhou to be considered a military merit.

Even if we lose Shouzhou, we can still take over other places.

We have just made peace with Yangzhou, so it is not convenient for us to take action. But Guangzhou is adjacent to Shouzhou and Yuzhou, and it is also a prefecture and county under the jurisdiction of Li Yu, so the location is just right. "

"It makes sense."

Li Guangbi nodded slightly. Guangzhou was too close to Henan, and it was also close to the defense zone of his Huaixi Jiedushi. To use troops against Guangzhou, the weather and terrain were both favorable.

The only thing he was worried about was the harmony between people, as this move would irritate Li Lu and Yan Zhenqing.

"Please let me think about it."

Li Guangbi said in a deep voice, his tone quite hesitant.

"General Jie, there is no need to report to General Fang. If we report it, he will definitely not agree. Why not kill first and report later? It will add another state and tens of thousands of households. Why not do it?"

Hao Tingyu tried his best to persuade.

It's obvious that Xiangyang will turn against Fang Chongyong sooner or later, so what's there to hesitate about?

Hao Tingyu felt that this time he could just rush in and be done with it.

(End of this chapter)