Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 351: Grand Governor and Banner
Faced with Li Zhi's question, Chen Qingsi, who had been prepared for a long time, did not agree and agreed. Instead, he pretended to be thoughtful and said with a slight hesitation: "Being able to serve your Majesty and the imperial court is the right thing for me to do." I hope. However, the situation in Baekje is not optimistic. Your Majesty asked me if I was sure, but I did not dare to say anything. But I will do my best to help your Majesty."

"it is good!"

Li Zhi's face showed joy, but he turned a deaf ear to Chen Qingsi's words. He stood up and said, "My dear, there is no need to be humble. Ever since I first heard your analysis, a person with both civil and military skills is needed to control Baekje. The first thing in my mind What emerged was the figure of Aiqing. It was just that I couldn't live without Aiqing, so I turned to someone else. Now it seems that this matter must be done by Aiqing... This matter has been settled, and I have confidence in Aiqing. ”

Chen Qingsi looked moved and said, "I will live up to His Majesty's high expectations."

Li Zhi nodded and said with a smile: "That's right! I'm going to Baekje. What do you want?"

Chen Qingsi said: "I have nothing to ask for when I leave here. I just miss my wife and children at home. I also hope that your majesty will allow me to carry letters from home in official documents to relieve my lovesickness."

Li Zhi said nonchalantly: "What's this? I love you and work hard for the country, so I can sympathize with your difficulties."

Chen Qingsi left the palace with a hint of joy in his eyes. Although it was not easy to control Baekje this time, it was very important to him.

Whether he can transform from a chess piece to a chess player in the future and compete with Empress Wu depends on this trip.

But thinking about his wife and children at home, Chen Qingsi still felt a little guilty.

I owe my wife so much.

Chen Qingsi told Xiao Miaochen the details about Baekje and Li Zhi's arrangements. He took his beloved wife's hand, kissed it and said, "I'm sorry, madam."

Xiao Miaochen had already realized it. Even though he couldn't bear to give up, he comforted him and said: "My husband worked so hard for my mother and son, so why should I feel wronged? My husband should be able to show his talents in Baekje. There are all concubines in the family."

As Chen Qingsi's status improved, Xiao Miaochen's status in the circle of female relatives also increased.

Empress Wu spared no effort to win over Xiao Miaochen.

Xiao Miaochen was extremely smart, but was reminded by Chen Qingsi to pay close attention to Empress Wu, and he also gained some insights, knowing that Empress Wu's character, talent, and methods were far more terrifying than he imagined.

Especially once, I met Yong Wang Li Sujie by chance in the palace.

Li Sujie is the son of Concubine Xiao Shu, and her name is Aunt Xiao Miaochen.

Xiao Shufei is a fool, but Li Sujie is studious and talented. When he was young, he could recite more than 500 words of ancient poetry a day. He studied under Xu Qidan, a bachelor, and was deeply favored by Li Zhi. It can also be seen from the appointment of Li Sujie that Yongzhou Mu and Yongwang.

The two just said hello and chatted for a few words.

When Xiao Miaochen faced Empress Wu, he felt like a thorn in his back. Soon after, Li Sujie was transferred out of Beijing.

Xiao Miaochen didn't know if all this was Queen Wu's method, but she also learned more about Queen Wu's method.

Xiao Miaochen knew very well that because of his relationship, the Chen family had a potentially terrible enemy.

If you want to avoid being devoured by the enemy, you must have the power to make the opponent fear you.

My husband left home looking for this kind of strength.

"Let girl Qianyan go with you!"

Xiao Miaochen said, "With her taking care of me, I feel at ease."

Chen Qingsi shook her head and said, "No need. Qianyan, girl, has been with Madam since she was a child. She is most considerate. My husband is not worried about letting you separate. Besides, Jingjing is still young, how can you be busy alone?"

Xiao Miaochen said: "Then let Qingkong accompany you?"

"That's even worse!" Chen Qingsi said: "Madam is out to socialize, seek enlightenment and pay homage to Buddha, where is the lack of bodyguards? Qingkong is not here, and my husband is even more worried. Well, don't worry too much, it won't take long for my husband to be here." Although the situation in Baekje is corrupt, as long as we find the right method, it is not difficult to break the situation, and it won’t be too long..."

Li Zhi acted vigorously and resolutely. On the third day after meeting with Chen Qingsi, he made corresponding adjustments to the situation in Baekje.

After originally capturing Baekje, Li Zhi set up five governor's offices in Baekje: Xiongjin, Mahan, Dongming, Jinlian, and De'an. The five governor's offices governed 37 prefectures and 250 counties.

Now it has been merged into the Xiongjin Prefecture Governor's Office, unifying the powers of the five governor's offices.

And Chen Qingsi was the first Grand Governor of Xiongjin Prefecture.

When Li Zhi announced Chen Qingsi as the Grand Governor of the Xiongjin Prefecture Governor's Mansion in public, the whole court was in an uproar.

The eyes looking at Chen Qingsi were full of disbelief, envy and jealousy.

At his age, serving as the Minister of War was already shocking, but he never expected that he could be promoted to directly control an area and become a feudal official.

For a while, most of the officials were wondering about Chen Qingsi's age. Was it twenty-six or twenty-seven?
In short, he is definitely not over 30, but a feudal official under 30.

It's really scary.

But no one came out to protest, and his ability was still obvious to all.

Just when all the officials of His Highness were silent, Li Zhi dropped another bombshell and said: "Baekje is now full of thieves and traitors, and they are sycophants who despise the imperial court. I will give my beloved the power to envoy the Jingjie, and I will go to Baekje." Ji, you should suppress the thieves and help the people, and live up to my expectations."

The so-called power of Jingjie originated from the earliest holiday festivals in the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

There are three types of festivals, the upholding festivals are the top, the upholding festivals are the second, and the false festivals are the bottom. If the envoy is holding a festival, he can kill no more than two thousand stones; if he is holding a festival, he can kill someone without an official position. If it is a military mission, it can be the same as the envoy holding a festival; if it is a false festival, only the military can kill anyone who violates the military order.

However, the Tang Dynasty made certain adjustments to the "Jie". False festivals were extremely rare, and the titles of "Zhijie" and "Zhijie" were empty titles. However, there was an additional system of Jingjie, in which Jing was dedicated to rewards and Jie was dedicated to killing.

Those who wear the banner can award rewards and punishments on their own without having to ask for instructions.

In essence, there is no difference from Jiazhijie.

It is not easy for a great governor to become an uncrowned king in the local area with the power of Jingjie.

This kind of courtesy has never been seen since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

Chen Qingsi was a little shocked and quickly bowed and thanked him.

The court meeting dispersed, and Chen Qingsi was left behind by Li Zhi.

Looking at the frightened Chen Qingsi, Li Zhi had a smile in his eyes. He had carefully considered this arrangement.

Any uncrowned king seems to Li Zhi to be empty.

Because Li Shimin knew the army well and knew that the general was out there, he should not restrict him too much, otherwise it would limit the general's performance and make him lose a winnable battle.

Therefore, the Tang court gave great autonomy to generals or border commanders who went on expeditions. Of course, certain constraints will be imposed, but there are some places that cannot be constrained.

Such as the Western Regions, and now Baekje.

The Western Region is too far away. If anything happens, it will take more than half a year to come and go. If everything is really decided by the court, how can it control it? The same goes for Baekje. There is no road connection with Liaodong and it is completely isolated overseas. It relies on the port and sea routes to transmit news, and it also has to avoid the strong winds and waves in autumn and winter, such as convection.

If there is really a special situation, let alone being unable to provide support in time, even if the news comes, if there is bad weather, it will be impossible to provide support.

Faced with this situation, the guarding general must face the difficulties by himself, solve them by himself, and handle them by himself.

Originally he was the uncrowned king, but now he is just given a title.

Using a name can not only bind Chen Qingsi morally, but also make up for Chen Qingsi's lack of qualifications, giving him enough confidence to do drastic things in Baekje.

Kill two birds with one stone.

Chen Qingsi understood Li Zhi's character and knew that he did not trust her as much as he showed, but his courage at this critical moment also showed the strategism that an emperor should have.

"His Majesty is so kind to me, and I am really scared in my heart, for fear of living up to the emperor's kindness."

Beautiful words need to be said.

Li Zhi didn't say much, he just said: "I believe in your love."

Li Zhi has a gloomy personality and is a noble person, so he will not trust anyone with his sincerity. Even the people closest to him are somewhat defensive.

Li Zhi was also wary of Chen Qingsi and had his own tricks secretly.

He did not dare to completely believe Chen Qingsi's loyalty, but he believed in Chen Qingsi's strategic ability and believed that he would be able to completely solve the Baekje issue.

Chen Qingsi also had a hint of emotion on his face and said: "I will dedicate myself to you and work hard."

Li Zhi nodded.

Chen Qingsi immediately said: "Your Majesty, I want to ask your Majesty for someone."

Li Zhi narrowed his eyes and said casually: "Say?"

Chen Qingsi bowed his head and said, "The teeth are always black!"

Li Zhi was a little stunned and said: "I thought..." He paused and said: "Is that the general of Baekje? Su Xinggong spoke highly of him and said that he had the style of a general. If he could use it for his own purposes, "

Chen Qingsi said: "Since I left the palace last time, I have been thinking hard about how to break the situation in Baekje. I specifically asked Duke Su Xing about the details of his destruction of Baekje, and I learned that Black Teeth Changzhi has the weapon of a famous general. I feel that Baekje has the weapon of a famous general. The most difficult thing for the rebels is to rely on the convenient terrain. They hide in the mountains and take advantage of the local mountains and forests to avoid the front of our army. They use harassment tactics to weaken the enemy and disrupt the government. Hitting our army's weak point directly. It can be seen that there are capable people in the opponent's army who understand grand strategy... If you want to break the situation, you have to use Baekje generals. If you can get the help of Hei Teochang, I dare not say that Baekje will be defeated, at least. Can hold the rebels within seven inches."

Li Zhi nodded and said: "That makes sense, I agree. It's just that this person's loyalty needs to be tested. If you love me, don't be careless, lest you let the tiger go back to the mountain."

Su Dingxiang mentioned to Li Zhi that his teeth were always black.

Therefore, Li Zhi specially met with him. He was indeed a rare general.

Li Zhiben planned to spend some time and throw him to the west, away from Baekje, and serve the court wholeheartedly.

Now Chen Qingsi wants to use Black Teeth Changzhi in Baekje.

Li Zhi was still a little worried.

Chen Qingsi also had this concern, but he knew very well how powerful Black Teeth Changzhi was. Historically, he gathered a crowd to stand firm, making it impossible for Su Dingfang to take advantage of him.

However, from the history of Heiji Changzhi's two surrenders to the Tang Dynasty, it can also be seen that Heiji Changzhi was not the kind of stubborn loyalist of Baekje. He knew how to adapt.

If you know how to adapt, you can conquer it.

"I know that if I am not completely sure, I will not dare to use him easily."

Li Zhi suddenly asked: "Is Liu Rengui in Chang'an now?"

Chen Qing nodded and said, "We are in Chang'an."

Li Zhi said: "Let him go with you and join the army as a white man. If he has made meritorious deeds, he will be promoted."

Chen Qingsi said happily: "I obey the order."

"Also... Aiqing has a different status now, especially in Baekje. The situation is complicated. I will give you an extra personal guard to protect you. Cheng Boxian has a teacher-student relationship with Aiqing, and I think he will protect Aiqing well in the future. Qing Zhou Quan, let him take charge."

Chen Qingsi was even more overjoyed and said: "Your Majesty is considerate and considerate. I would like to thank you for your grace."

Li Zhi asked again: "When does Aiqing plan to leave?"

Chen Qingsi said: "In six days' time, I still have some matters on hand that need to be handled. After handling them, we will set off immediately."

Li Zhi frowned and said, "Are you too hasty? What's more, winter is about to come, and the sea is unstable, so I can't take risks. You might as well wait until spring, when the waves calm down, before making a decision."

Chen Qingsi said: "Before I share your Majesty's worries, I still cherish my life. I don't plan to take the sea route. Instead, I will go to Liaodong first and take a boat from the Liaodong Peninsula to Xiongjin. In this way, I can avoid the storms on the sea, not to mention that I also want to After conducting an on-the-spot investigation on the situation in Liaodong, I found that Goguryeo was a sworn enemy and Silla had hidden agendas. Liaodong was the safest and most peaceful route. I wanted to discuss with Governor Cheng how the trade between the two places would go through Goguryeo. , their navy must not dare to take the lead in order to ensure the smooth flow of Baekje's economy. "

A trace of emotion flashed in Li Zhi's eyes. Chen Qingsi's hard work and dedication and responsibility for work can't be faulted.

"In that case, I am in the capital, waiting for the good news from your beloved."

Chen Qingsi spent two days handling the affairs of the Ministry of War.

When he got used to letting go of the boss, Jiang Ke, the Minister of the Ministry of War, was reluctant to let Chen Qingsi leave, with a look of reluctance and sadness: Without Chen Qingsi, wouldn't his own level be exposed?

Immediately, Chen Qingsi made arrangements for the Qingliu Party. After he left, Zhao Renben took the lead in the affairs of the capital, and was assisted by Wang Dezhen and Zhang Dayan.

Now that the Qingliu faction has been integrated by Chen Qingsi, and everyone is united, they can develop steadily even if he is not in Beijing.

Then Chen Qingsi hosted a banquet for Shangguan Yi, Xue Yuanchao, Zhang Jianzhi, Lu Zhaolin, Fu Jiamo, and Du Shenyan. Except for Zhang Jianzhi, almost all of them were influential figures in Chang'an literary circles.

Needless to say, Shangguan Yi and Xue Yuanchao, before Chen Qingsi became famous, Xu Jingzong was already old and could not think of the young people as much as he did, so he took a back seat. The two of them were the first and second.

Lu Zhaolin, Fu Jiamo, Du Shenyan, and Luo Binwang, all shined due to the collision of palace style poetry and Tang style poetry, and their worth doubled.

As for Zhang Jianzhi, he was talented in poetry, but he was good at strategy. He had been controlling everything behind the scenes, so his reputation was not as good as the others, not even as good as Yang Jiong and Wang Bo, but he was a core figure.

King Luo Bin returned to Hexi after Chen Qingsi's "Spring River Flower Moonlight Night" convinced Shangguan Yi and Xue Yuanchao to win the final victory, and was not included in this list for some reason.

"After I leave, the reform of the literary world will be left to You Shao and Fu Chao..." He said, glanced at Zhang Jianzhi, Fu Jiamo, and Du Shenyan, and said: "You should give your full support. Don’t neglect it.”

(End of this chapter)