Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 165 Li Yifu deserves to be punished for his crime

Late May, night.

Chen Qingsi was having dinner with his wife Xiao Miaochen.

Eating Chang'an's special delicacy, water basin mutton.

Xiao Miaochen said with a smile: "Mr. Lang, I received an invitation from the Princess of the New City in the afternoon to go to Da Ci'en Temple to pray for blessings and sacrifice to the late emperor in three days."

Chen Qingsi was slightly surprised.

Xiao Miaochen was new to Chang'an and didn't know anyone.

It was the wife who came to Ji at first. Master Xu Yu's wife took special care of her and led Xiao Miaochen to get to know the wives of various ministers.

As Chen Qingsi became popular for a while, Xiao Miaochen was also affected, and the number of social events between women increased.

Xiao Miaochen is different from her stupid sister. She is well-educated, dignified and dignified. Her words and deeds are not inferior to those of many noble ladies, and she is well received.

Once you see it, you will see it a second time and a third time.

In the circle of women, Chen Qingsi earned a lot of face.

Chen Qingsi was not surprised by this. He knew his wife's abilities. She was capable enough to serve as the housekeeper of a wealthy family, and the etiquette and social etiquette among women was not a problem for him at all.

But she is not a destined wife after all. Ten days ago, she was treated to a banquet by the new city eldest princess, which was considered an exception.

You must know that Princess Xincheng is the youngest legitimate daughter of Emperor Taizong and the biological sister of the current emperor. Her status among women is second only to the queen.

Although the husband-in-law of the eldest princess of Xincheng is Changsun Quan, the son of Changsun Cao, who is the daughter-in-law of the eldest grandson's family, Li Zhi loves his little sister very much, obeys almost everything, and has great influence.

But since he was in the limelight, it was reasonable for him to be treated like this.

But going with the eldest princess of Xincheng to Da Ci'en Temple to pray for blessings and sacrifice to the late emperor is a bit too much honor and favor.

The day after tomorrow is the death anniversary of Emperor Taizong. Every year, the eldest princess of Xincheng leads some women to sacrifice to the late emperor. It is a great honor to be a member of the sacrifice.

Xiao Miaochen was not the destined wife, but she was invited, which surprised Chen Qingsi.

Either way it's a good thing.

There was an excellent trump card in Chen Qingsi's memory. She lowered her voice and said: "I wonder if there is His Majesty's guardian among the members of this sacrifice. If so, Madam can have a good relationship with him. It is best to win over her. of joy."

Xiao Miaochen didn't ask anything, just nodded slightly and wrote down the matter.

A smile flashed in Chen Qingsi's eyes. If everything goes well this time, not to mention her opponent Li Yifu, even the superior Empress Wu can slap her on the ear.

The next day, Chen Qingsi went to the Imperial College as usual.

Taking down Li Yifu is not something that happens overnight. You have to be calm before help arrives.

Li Yifu's two suggestions soon reached his ears.

After Lai Ji's introduction, Chen Qingsi already had certain connections in Chang'an.

Friends communicate with each other and discuss state affairs to enhance their feelings.

It was Yuan Zhixin, the admonishing doctor, who told Chen Qingsi the news.

Yuan Zhixin is an important member of the Menxia Province, and Liu Rengui is his immediate boss.

Although Liu Rengui had the idea of ​​sacrificing himself, Yuan Zhixin was unwilling to do so, and Laiji moved Dui Zi to help Liu Rengui, so he would not put more thought into the rescue.

Yuanzhi was disheartened and did not want to continue to follow Lai Ji. He developed a good impression of Chen Qingsi, who had repeatedly turned corruption into magic. He often shared things about the temple with him. The two of them commented on the world together, which was quite satisfying.

"I don't know who it is. This idea is too bad."

Yuan Zhixin sipped the tea and said with a bit of ridicule.A light flashed in Chen Qingsi's eyes, and she thought: Who else could it be?Li Yifu.

Li Zhi now does not trust Li Yifu as much as later generations did, so he did not immediately adopt his two strategies. Instead, he let out some rumors and listened to the reaction before deciding whether to adopt them.

Therefore, the world does not know who came up with this plan.

But Chen Qingsi knew clearly that this trick was most likely done by Li Yifu. In history, he also used the same method to win Li Zhi's sacred heart.

But that’s for later…

Now that he had come up with this move in advance, it must have been affected by his momentum these days... He was anxious.

In order to compete for favor and prove himself, he used the method of banning marriage and revising the "Clan Chronicle" in advance to deal with the five surnamed nobles in Guandong.

Fish hooked.

After Chen Qingsi and Yuan Zhixin separated, they went straight to the palace without any hesitation.

Chen Qingsi has the status of a direct bachelor of Hongwen Hall. As long as he follows the formal procedures, he is qualified to enter the palace to meet the saint, without the approval of the Prime Minister.

Soon Chen Qingsi was summoned by Li Zhi and met the slightly tired Emperor of the Tang Dynasty in Wude Hall.

As the weather got hotter and hotter, Li Zhi felt uncomfortable all over, but facing Chen Qingsi, the young emperor still managed to smile.

"My dear, this is the first time you come to see me. What's important?"

Chen Qingsi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I heard that someone suggested banning marriages of the five surnames. Is this true?"

Li Zhi was not surprised. He was the one who spread the news. After all, he was not worried about Li Yifu and chose a conservative approach.

"That's true!"

He was about to listen to Chen Qingsi's opinion when he saw the young scholar, who was known for his elegance and poise, had an angry look on his face and shouted in a low voice: "This thief's crime is unpardonable and should be punished."

Li Zhi sat up straight and said seriously: "What does Aiqing mean by this?"

Chen Qingsi tried hard to control his emotions, but still looked a little angry and said: "Your Majesty, the five surnames have been related to each other for hundreds of years. Your Majesty's edict can indeed prevent them from getting married on the surface. But it can also be publicized to the world. , as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, you have no choice but to use this method to restrict the five surnames of Guandong. This is to support the enemy, to boost the morale of others and destroy your own prestige. Your Majesty, if I were one of the five surnames, facing your majesty Not only are we not afraid of such an edict, but we publicize it vigorously, letting the world know about the honor of the noble women with the five surnames. The status of the noble women with the five surnames in Guandong has skyrocketed, and they have become a being that the scholars all over the world yearn for."

Chen Qingsi This is not alarmist, it is the fact.

Many people regard the gentry of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the gentry of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and even the gentry of the prosperous Tang Dynasty as the same thing.

actually not.

The gentry in the Southern and Northern Dynasties was completely different from the early and middle Tang Dynasties.

Not to mention the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but in the early Tang Dynasty, after the suppression of Guan Longxungui by Li Shimin, he showed a weak posture, and even began to compromise and bow to Changsun Wuji.

Of course, due to the prestige accumulated over a long period of time, it has become a temporary trend for high-ranking nobles to consider intermarriage with those with five surnames.

The founding heroes of the Tang Dynasty, such as Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and Li Ji, were not immune to the customs, but they could easily marry them if they wanted.

Just like Li Yifu, if he wanted to enter the family tree of the Li family in Zhao County, he could still enter.

The status of the five surnames is high, but far from unattainable.

However, everything changed after Li Yifu came up with the strategy of banning marriage because of his cleverness.

Li Zhi listened to Li Yifu's suggestion and ordered that the seven surnames and ten families be prohibited from intermarriage, giving the five surnames the right to show off their dignity. From then on, the five surnames not only despised other surnames, but even the royal family could not be in their eyes.

The status of women with the fifth surname has been so high that Prime Minister Xue Yuanchao regretted that he could not marry a woman with the fifth surname. Tang Wenzong even lamented: "Civil marriages do not take into account official status, but the status of the family. The emperor of my family for 200 years did not care about Cui Luye ?”

To put it bluntly, Li Yifu's plan turned Li Shimin's ten years of hard work into ashes.

(End of this chapter)