Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 314 Li Xiaojiu’s methods

Zhao Renben and Wang Dezhen did not expect that Chen Qingsi had such a big appetite.

Wang Dezhen's heart was pounding. Li Zhi supported Lai Ji in the first place to fight against Changsun Wuji.

They were of the same lineage. When they were at their highest glory, the prime minister was the leader, the minister was the base, and the minister was only qualified as a thug.

Now Qingliu's face is supported by a few of their assistants, and they are only one step away from being disbanded.

If he can win two seats this time, he will not be able to compare with Master Xu Jingzong and Master Xu Yu, but he can slow down the trend of decadence and regain a foothold in this temple.

only……

He is a calm and prudent person. Changsun Wuji's strength has been greatly reduced since Chu Suiliang was deposed. It is clear that there are many people who suffered with him this time, but the ones who really deserve attention are Yongzhou Sima and the Minister of Rites.

There are quite a few people coveting these two positions. If they were to win them together, would they become the target of public criticism?

If it was the original Qingliu lineage, it would be no problem and they would have enough strength to deal with it.

But now, if Qingliu is maliciously suppressed by both sides, I am afraid that it will not be able to sustain it.

After all, they lacked a big tree that could shelter them from the wind and rain.

Although Chen Qingsi was favored, there was still a difference between him and Lai Ji, the prime minister.

"Would it be inappropriate?"

Wang Dezhen expressed his concerns.

Zhao Ren, however, has a character that dares to take risks. He said: "What's inappropriate? When you are in a temple, you have to face the storm. How can you hold back because of fear? Besides, His Majesty may not be willing to see us perish."

Chen Qingsi echoed: "It should be like this. The situation is approaching. Why is Wang Shilang so timid?"

Wang Dezhen and Zhao Renben still have old ideas.

It is believed that the king's power is mutually dependent on each other.

These ministers should assist the prime minister and the king.

The prime minister oversees the overall situation, the king makes decisions, and the ministers implement them.

Therefore, there was no prime minister to support them, and Wang Dezhen and Zhao Renben were somewhat lacking in confidence.

Wang Dezhen showed it on his face, while Zhao Renben showed it in his heart.

However, Chen Qingsi understood that in front of the emperor Li Xiaojiu, the prime minister could be changed and it would not affect his decision.

Li Zhi reigned for thirty-four years, but had nearly fifty prime ministers. If you also count the number of times some people were dismissed as prime ministers and re-appointed, one or two prime ministers were dismissed every year on average, which shows that the frequency of prime ministers was high. Of course, there were emperors in history who had more terrifying transformations, but it was already the twilight years of the empire, the world was corrupt, the temples were in turmoil and chaos, and there was no cure. But now is the time when the Tang Empire is reaching its peak...

In an era that should have been developing steadily and steadily, the prime ministers were changed one after another, which shows the strength of Li Zhi, an emperor who was dubbed "weak" by later generations, on the temple.

Li Zhi will only use people who are useful to him, regardless of whether they are prime ministers or not.

Apart from Changsun Wuji, the next target is naturally the five surnames of Guandong.

The Qingliu lineage is mainly composed of Hanmen common people, and their existence is exactly the opposite of swordsmen like Li Yifu, Yuan Gongyu, and Hou Shanye.

They are the flag and the benchmark...

It is not enough to just use a knife to deal with the five surnames of Guandong. The poor people in the world must also be empowered and let them know that instead of currying favor with the aristocratic families of the five surnames, it is better to serve the country and be loyal to the emperor, like Chen Qingsi, and become a clean figure in the temple.

Chen Qingsi now even suspected that Li Zhi suddenly dismissed Ji Ji not only to vent his anger, but also to reuse the Qingliu lineage.

After all, Lai Ji has been in the temple for many years and has an excellent official reputation. If Lai Ji is the leader and the Qingliu lineage is reused, Qingliu's power will be uncontrollable.

The reason why Li Zhi adopted the multi-phase system was to weaken the power of the prime minister. It was impossible for Li Zhi to support Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang. Chen Qingsi is now certain that Li Zhi will open the door to them in the future.

Zhao Renben and Wang Dezhen were obviously not aware of this.

Wang Dezhen looked at Chen Qingsi who was standing above him, then at Zhao Renben, nodded and said: "Okay, when you are in this temple, you can't look forward or backward!"

The three of them immediately set the tone.

Chen Qingsi personally sent Zhao Renben, Wang Dezhen, and Yuan Zhixin out of the mansion.

The spring thunder that Xie Chunlei, the imperial censor, threw into Chang'an during the dog days, exploded in the sky over Chang'an for a full month.

The core members of Guan Longxungui, headed by Changsun Wuji, were almost wiped out in one fell swoop.

And Li Zhi, the emperor, brought his acting skills to the extreme.

Li Zhi visited Li Zhi every three days, and on the thirtieth day of the month, Chen Qingsi met Li Zhi ten times in total in the temple.

Every time I see him, he is more decadent and tired than the last time...

Li Zhi was like this, and all the civil and military officials in the dynasty expressed distress.

Originally, there were many people in the temple who sympathized with Changsun Wuji.

No matter how you say it, Changsun Wuji is a veteran of three dynasties, with a long history of serving the dragon. He is also an auxiliary minister personally appointed by the late emperor, and he is also the emperor's uncle. How can he be humiliated so easily?

Even if you reward him with a glass of poisonous wine or three feet of white silk, or execute him directly, it is better than putting a veteran of the Three Dynasties in prison.

But Li Zhi was now so haggard that most officials felt sympathy, especially those who didn't know the details. Everyone was filled with indignation and cursed Changsun Wuji for being nothing.

On the other hand, the elders of the three dynasties were favored by the three generations of emperors, and those who served as Conglong assistants were highly regarded. The emperor's uncle and nephew are the current emperor.

As soon as the situation changed, he became a man who had been favored by three generations of emperors and was extremely favored, and he rebelled against his own nephew.

The difference between the two cannot be calculated based on reason.

Chen Qingsi watched Li Zhi rely on his excellent acting skills to turn around a bad situation for him.

Amazing, this Li Xiaojiu is amazing.

Chen Qingsi was a little surprised.

Little did he know that Li Zhi's operation was more than that.

Li Zhi returned to the harem in despair. Empress Wu looked at her husband, her god, with this look. She stepped forward with heartache, offered condolences, rubbed his shoulders, and pressed his brain.

This special set of massage techniques was specially designed by her to make Li Zhi happy.

Li Zhi enjoyed Queen Wu's service and said casually: "In the past, Changsun Wuji bullied me when I was young and acted arbitrarily. It is not a pity to die. But he is my uncle after all, and his prestige is unparalleled. Xu Aiqing is responsible for interrogating him. It’s a lot of pressure on my shoulders.”

A trace of hatred flashed in Empress Wu's eyes. Li Zhi brought her to the house in person to ask for her to be the queen, but he refused.

Her mother also visited her again and again, only to be humiliated and hated her to the end of her life.

She knew how to measure things, and just said: "Ms. Xu is deeply trusted by His Majesty, so he will definitely be able to withstand the pressure."

Li Zhi nodded slightly and said: "I don't doubt this, but I have wronged him a little, so I need to reward him properly. It's just that Changsun Wuji is my uncle after all, and it's not convenient for me to reward him."

What kind of person is Empress Wu? When she first heard what she meant, she immediately understood her husband's intentions and said without hesitation: "What's so difficult about this? I'm looking for an opportunity to praise Xianggong Xu's wife..." When she saw Li Zhi and Without expressing his position, he added: "Let my mother come to the door with a heavy gift to say thank you."

(End of this chapter)