Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 312 Leader (two in one)

Xu Jingzong's voice is like a bell, every word is passionate and fiery.

However, Master Xu Yun beside him was sweating profusely and complaining in his heart. How could such an unlucky thing happen to him?

The prime minister is responsible for handling world affairs, and his work is no less heavy than that of the emperor. Naturally, he cannot be around the emperor all day long. However, the emperor had political problems that needed to be solved by the prime minister, so the prime minister rotation system was derived.

The other prime ministers went about their business as usual, and two prime ministers were selected to assist the emperor at any time and answer his questions.

Today it is the turn of Master Xu Jingzong and Master Xu Yu to guard the council hall.

Originally, I just thought that I would live this day in a relaxed and comfortable way. After all, the court has recently taken a series of big actions, which has damaged a lot of vitality. Now the emperor and his ministers have defaulted to focusing on the development of people's livelihood.

There is nothing important in the country, and life is naturally leisurely.

Unexpectedly, just after noon, Li Zhi suddenly received a secret memorandum from Xie Chunlei, the imperial censor, pointing out that Li Chao, the censor of supervision, had colluded with Changsun Wuji to plot a rebellion.

Xu Yushi may not be a famous figure through the ages, and his ability is average, but he can still see the overall situation of the court clearly.

Changsun Wuji is no longer the noble leader he was in the past. It is not an exaggeration to call him a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

Is Changsun Wuji rebelling now?

What's the difference between this and leading the whole clan to seek death?

Xu Yushi knew that Changsun Wuji would be punished one day, but he never expected that he would be charged with treason.

Li Zhi cried, looking longingly at Master Xu Yu, and choked with sobs: "What do you think of Xu Qing?"

Master Xu Yu wished he could faint immediately to avoid this question. Facing the emperor who was crying in grief, he finally said against his will: "I agree with Xianggong Xu's proposal. Changsun Wuji is the only one left in our dynasty." My lord, he is really rebellious, and the consequences will be disastrous."

Li Zhi was obviously not satisfied with this attitude, but at this critical moment, he didn't care so much, as long as Master Xu Yue nodded in agreement.

"That's it...that's it!"

Li Zhi hesitated again and again, and finally cried: "For the sake of the country and the country, if there is any infamy, I will bear it alone."

He summoned up his courage and said, "Let Xu Aiqing and Xin Aiqing take charge of this matter. Remember, we must investigate clearly and never let my uncle be wronged."

"Everyone, please go down. I feel uncomfortable, so don't bother me."

Li Zhi looked like he was hurt and turned away.

After everyone left the palace, Li Zhi let tears fall from the corners of his eyes, but he looked through today's memorial as if nothing had happened.

After receiving the news that Chen Qingsi asked for an audience, Li Zhi did not wipe the tears from his eyes, but his brows wrinkled slightly. He was a little afraid of Chen Qingsi now, not because he was dissatisfied with him, but because every time he came, it was a big deal.

In the past few years, because of Chen Qingsi, they have corrected the loopholes in their strategy, but they have also cleaned up their crotch.

Now he really wants to be at peace...

"Invite him into the palace."

Li Zhi knew better that he had to see him.

Chen Qingsi stepped into the hall, and saw Li Zhi above him looking very hurt, and secretly shouted: "No!"

The "Ren Confucian" Li Zhi, whenever he cries, 99% of the tears he shed will be crocodile tears.

He knew that he came at the wrong time, but his expression changed instantly and he hurriedly walked the first two steps: "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"

Li Zhi said sadly: "It's hard to talk about my family's ugliness. Is there something important for my beloved to come to see me?"

When Chen Qingsi heard about the family scandal, she knew it well. Li Zhi didn't want to say it, and he couldn't ask. He just elaborated his guess to Li Zhi: "I want to explore the personnel changes in Tubo after the war. If my guess is true, then there is likely to be a gap within Tubo, which can be exploited and divided. You can win without a fight.”

Li Zhi has regained his energy, which is a good thing.

The most troublesome thing about Tubo is that they are protected by the plateau.

If you attack with all your strength, even if you win, it will be a miserable victory and there will be no benefit. But if you don't guard against him, it will be easy for him to take advantage of you.

Although under Chen Qingsi's arrangement, Tuyuhun assumed the military pay of the Tang army, and also chose a place suitable for farming on the bank of Qinghai Lake, allowing the Tang army to establish military camps and relieve some of the financial pressure.

But there are hundreds of thousands of Tibetans, so they still need to arrange troops in Lianglong territory.

The main task of the Tang Army in Qinghai Lake is still to defend, to avoid the situation like last time, when the Tang Army's reinforcements did not arrive and Tubo occupied 80% of Tuyuhun's territory. The Tang Army could only passively fight on the battlefield planned by Tubo.

If there were problems within Tubo itself, they could just take the opportunity to solve Haidong's affairs. Then move the strategy eastward and Tibet will no longer be a problem.

Under the influence of Chen Qingsi, Li Zhi improved his strategic abilities and figured out the key.

"Okay, I will arrange for people to investigate the situation inside Tubo."

As for whether Chen Qingsi's inference is reasonable and far-fetched, Li Zhi does not consider or question it at all now.

Chen Qingsi's ability in inference and prediction is so strong that it is beyond the scope of his understanding, and he has not missed anything yet.

Even if it's wrong this time, it doesn't matter.

Chen Qingsi’s inference is worth trying.

Chen Qingsi added: "The Ministry of Rites can be asked to extend some negotiation time and delay the return of the mission to Tubo. The other party really wants to keep Chi Maluo and will not choose to take action in Chang'an."

He said with a smile: "In the early years, when we were not paying attention, they secretly trained many spies to detect intelligence. Every move they made in Chang'an was under the eyes of Wu Hou and bad people. I really don't believe it, they have that I can kill people under the eyes of Wuhou and bad people and frame the blame. On the way back, it would be most appropriate to frame the blame on us or Tuyuhun."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Everything will be in accordance with Ai Qing's words."

Chen Qingsi knew that it was difficult for Li Zhi to maintain such a sad attitude on his face. As a caring courtier, he wisely chose to retreat.

Chen Qingsi returned to the Ministry of War and took a look at the sky. It was the end of summer and the scorching sun was shining on the earth, but he could not feel the heat wave. Instead, there was a slight chill.

Following Xu Jingzong's actions, it seemed like a thunder was thrown under the scorching sun.

People from Dali Temple directly broke into Changsun Wuji's Duke Zhao's mansion and sent Changsun Wuji, a veteran of three dynasties, to prison.

There was a huge earthquake in the government and the public.

Given his merits, Changsun Wuji would certainly not suffer in Dali Temple Prison, but considering his merits, being sent to prison would be a huge insult.

Chen Qingsi got the news at the Ministry of War, but sighed secretly, said no more, and returned to the Chen family mansion.

Chen Qingsi was not in a hurry to go to the backyard to see his precious son. He knew that Yuan Zhixin would be here soon.

When such a major event occurs, the Qingliu Party must communicate with each other to ensure that they can avoid this disaster. Of course, when Changsun Wuji fell, many people were buried with him. There will be certain vacancies left at that time, and we have to get some benefits no matter what to boost morale.

After all, with the demotions of Lai Ji and Yang Wu, some people in the already unstable Qingliu Party became panicked.

Especially now that there is no capable leader...

Chen Qingsi was recommended by Lai Ji, but his status and official position were somewhat unqualified, and he was not fully recognized internally. Most of them were on the sidelines, and of course he was taken advantage of by prime ministers such as Xu Jingzong and Xu Yushi.

This was a normal situation in the temples of the Tang Dynasty at this time. If they couldn't play together, they would break up peacefully. In the face of an emperor like Li Zhi who had a strong desire for control, it was impossible to form a situation of party struggle between Niu and Li, or various party struggles in the Song Dynasty.

The emergence of party strife is often accompanied by the decline of imperial power. The emperor needs to balance the situation in the temple, support this and support that.

Here in Li Zhi, if anyone makes a louder voice, he can knock you down.

Li Zhi was more diligent in changing his prime minister than his concubine.

At this time, the so-called party struggle is just a group of like-minded people supporting each other...

Joining and leaving is very casual, and there will be no situation like that of Li Shangyin in later generations. Just marrying the daughter of a member of the "Li Party" is regarded as a betrayal of the teacher and benefactor who just passed away.

However, due to the freedom of movement, the Qingliu Party has left many people this time, and it is not an exaggeration to say that their vitality has been severely damaged.

If we don't take this opportunity to shake our wings and rouse our mighty wind, we may not even be able to say goodbye.

Although Chen Qingsi had some regrets about Changsun Wuji, he would not let this opportunity pass him by.

While he was making tea, Jiang Chen trotted over with a bit of excitement and said, "Master Lang..."

Chen Qingsi saw Jiang Chen coming alone and asked curiously: "Where is Brother Yuan?"

As Chen Qingsi's right-hand man, Yuan Zhixin is one of the few people who can freely enter and exit the front hall of the Chen family's mansion.

If you have something to look for, you don’t need to send a greeting card in advance. You can go straight to the living room and wait.

Jiang Chen said happily: "Mr. Yuan Lang asked his subordinates to come down and inform Master Lang that Zhao Shilang and Wang Shilang are here."

A trace of joy flashed in Chen Qingsi's eyes. She quickly stood up and limped towards the outside of the house without having time to put on her shoes.

Chen Qingsi certainly knew who Zhao Shilang and Wang Shilang were.

Zhao Shilang's name is Zhao Renben, and he is the minister of household affairs.

Wang Shilang's name is Wang Dezhen, and he is the official minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Both of them are core figures of the Qing Dynasty...

The Qing faction was originally headed by Li Ji, followed by Liu Rengui and Yang Wu, followed by Zhao Renben and Wang Dezhen. These five people were the cornerstones of the Qingliu party.

According to Lai Ji's original plan, Yang Wu was arranged to assist Chen Qingsi.

Yang Wu's ability is mediocre, but he is willing to do it. No matter how dirty or tiring the work is, he takes on it and has enough patience to do it slowly. He may not be the leader, but he is the most important member of the flock and is deeply loved by others.

It's a pity that Yang Wu was afraid of guilt and had a completely mediocre wife who secretly targeted Chen Qingsi and wanted to help her husband become the leader of the Qing faction.

Yang Wu's wife was still in the Zhenguan period and did not use her words to answer questions.

Impeachment is impunity…

At that time, Li Zhi avoided a major defeat because of Chen Qingsi, and it was during the honeymoon period, so he casually let Yang Wu go.

This also caused Chen Qingsi to lose an assistant...

Zhao Renben and Wang Dezhen are both above Chen Qingsi in terms of official positions and status, and their abilities are second to none...

Zhao Renben was the most responsible. During the Zhenguan period, he moved to the palace to serve as the censor. Just in time for the imperial court to send a censor to a distant place, his colleagues all declined. Zhao Renben came out to request to go, and said to Ma Zhou, the official official of the imperial court: "When you receive a salary from the imperial court, you should work hard for the affairs of the imperial court. Even if you have to travel a long distance and encounter difficulties and obstacles, you should move forward without hesitation."

Zhao Renben finally completed the mission successfully and gained Ma Zhou's favor and respect, thus rising to prominence.

Wang Dezhen was Li Yuan's bailiff, that is, the person who led the coffin and sang condolences. With his own efforts, he got the signature from the secret palace and relied on his strength to climb to his current position step by step.

Naturally, the two of them would not give in to a young man easily. They just cooperated and watched from the sidelines. They did not even meet each other in private. They needed to rely on Yuan Zhixin as a mouthpiece to convey each other's intentions.

After all, whoever looks for whoever first will be at a disadvantage.

Now that the two of them came together with Yuan Zhixin, they presumably recognized him as the leader.

With the approval of the two people, Chen Qingsi, the leader of the Qingliu Party, is now firmly established.

"Shilang Zhao, Shilang Wang!"

Chen Qingsi stepped forward enthusiastically, "Hurry, come in quickly."

He invited the two of them to his guest room without any sign of presence or even greetings.

His attitude is very clear, he is one of his own, there is no need for unnecessary politeness.

Zhao Renben and Wang Dezhen were also happy.

Some things are nice to know each other, but it's not beautiful to say them.

The four of them entered the living room, Chen Qingsi was making tea at the top, Zhao Renben and Wang Dezhen were at the bottom, and Yuan Zhixin was naturally at the bottom.

Chen Qingsi's tea art is quite good. With smooth movements, he put ginger into the tea soup lightly and said, "Have you heard about Changsun Wuji?"

Zhao Renben said: "How can you not know about such a big event?"

He paused and asked, "Shilang Chen asked Doctor Yuan to come forward to remind him before, but because of this matter?"

Chen Qing nodded and said: "That's right. Although Changsun Wuji made great contributions to the court, it is a fact that he and Chu Suiliang relied on their assistants to act arbitrarily. I saw the atmosphere in the temple and knew that something big was going to happen, so I asked Brother Yuan to Just a reminder."

Zhao Renben and Wang Dezhen looked at each other and nodded.

In fact, none of them hate Chen Qingsi. The so-called clean stream does not mean a place where filth and people can hide evil. If they can enter it, there is no problem in major aspects.

Chen Qingsi's reputation, official reputation, and abilities are enough to become one of them.

After Laiji's introduction, they all expressed a warm attitude towards Chen Qingsi.

It's just that they don't think Chen Qingsi has the ability to lead them...

Now Chen Qingsi's favorites Di Renjie, Zhang Jianzhi, and Wei Yuanzhong have all shown extraordinary abilities, showing their ability to recognize people, and they have also foreseen risks that have not yet occurred in the temple.

As for personal talents, let alone: ​​he was directly promoted from county magistrate to minister in less than three years, and there was no qualification blessing...

If these are not qualified to be the leader, then the Qing faction will not be able to elect a leader.

Wang Dezhen said: "Most of our group are ministers of the new dynasty who were promoted by His Majesty after he ascended the throne, and have no deep connection with the late Emperor Changsun Wuji. This incident will have little impact on us."

Chen Qingsi nodded and understood that Lai Ji was single-handedly promoted by Li Zhi to deal with Changsun Wuji. Naturally, this group of people did not have much contact with Changsun Wuji.

(End of this chapter)