Jiuxi

Chapter 317 Chapter 315 [Crown Attack]

Pingkangfang, Nancheng, is the Li family's mansion.

"Father, your lords are waiting for you in the side hall."

Standing in the hall was a middle-aged man with a pale face and the aristocratic air of a scholar. He was Li Shizhi, the eldest son of Left Prime Minister Li Daoyan and the current minister of the Ministry of Punishment. He was forty-one years old at the time.

He had a reputation for talent when he was young. He passed the imperial examination at the age of seventeen. At the age of nineteen, he was appointed by the late emperor as a first-class Tanhua and was awarded the Imperial Academy for review.

After the Yuanjia Incident, he successively served as the imperial minister, Yizhongfu, Dongge bachelor, and criminal minister. His lenient governance was deeply popular.

Although he is the eldest son of the left prime minister and the confirmed next-generation head of the Jinlin Li family, he has never been overbearing. He is personable in dealing with others and has a quiet and cautious personality. He is especially good at writing eloquent and legal articles. The official voice is excellent.

On the soft couch, Li Daoyan drank half a bowl of ginseng tea in sips, then handed the tea cup to the maid next to him and said lightly: "What are they doing here?"

Li Shizhi lowered his head and replied: "It must be related to today's meeting in court."

Li Daoyan asked again: "Do you also think that your father's treatment was inappropriate?"

Li Shizhi raised his head, looked at his old father's gray hair, and said slowly: "There is nothing wrong. Xiao Wangzhi and Lu Chen are retreating to advance, taking the initiative to stop the momentum of the Northern Expedition. They can take the lead in theory and make the Central Committee blameless. . Although what Lu Chen said is straightforward and crude, the best thing is temporary, which is equivalent to leaving the right of choice in the hands of His Majesty."

Li Daoyan nodded slightly and said a little tiredly: "Those people in the side hall..."

Li Shizhi said: "Father, Ning, Ding, Chen, Le and other adults, it's not that they can't see through the intentions of the frontier generals, it's just that they are in the middle of the situation and it's hard to get away. In the past two years, the frontier armies have continued to use troops, and the court has endured great pressure. Pressure, now all the credit goes to Xiao Wangzhi and his generals, and the center has been reduced to the sidelines. It is no wonder that they are anxious. Furthermore, it is not a good idea to have too much internal stability in the frontier army. "

"Your Majesty will not agree to transfer Xiao Wangzhi back to the capital. The water here is very deep."

Li Daoyan looked solemn and did not elaborate on the matter.

Li Shizhi said calmly: "No matter what, Xiao Wangzhi cannot be allowed to control the military power of Huaihe and Dingda alone."

"It's natural."

Li Daoyan nodded and said slowly: "My father has already discussed this matter with Privy Councilor Guo. The Dingzhou Governor's Office must ensure that more than half of its troops are transferred from the Beijing army. However, it is difficult to decide on the candidate for the Dingzhou Governor."

Li Shizhi thought for a moment and asked, "How is General Li?"

"Li Jingda?"

Li Daoyan subconsciously showed a touch of sarcasm and said: "Do you think he is qualified? In the future, when Jing's army goes south, Dingzhou will be the first line of defense. Li Jingda indulges in pleasure in the capital, and I'm afraid he won't be able to stop the tigers and wolves in the north when he goes to the border."

Li Shizhi said calmly: "Father, His Majesty is 80% willing to let Lu Chen sit in Dingzhou. As long as this son returns to Beijing and withstands the test, he will definitely be appointed as the head coach in the future, and Dingzhou is undoubtedly the most suitable battlefield for him. Before that, , the first Governor of Dingzhou is just a transitional candidate, no matter who he is, he will not last long."

Li Daoyan looked at his eldest son quietly and asked, "What are your plans?"

Li Shizhi replied: "Father, Liu Shouguang, the two generals of Nanya, is obviously your Majesty's man. Although Li Jingda has sufficient qualifications, he is not capable enough to check Liu Shouguang. Rather than leaving his body to a meal, it is better to take this opportunity to let him hand over military power." "

Li Daoyan was silent for a long time.

He said with a slightly strange expression: "It's appropriate that our Li family has never interfered with military power."

Li Shizhi said: "My son understands that if His Majesty can hold both the Beijing army and the border army in his hands, no one can stop him from continuing to use troops. It would be fine if he could really surrender Jingguo, but my father must know that the main force of Jingguo has not yet gone south." , Qing Yugong never took action, if the border army is defeated in the future, there may be no chance for Da Qi to turn around."

He looked into Li Daoyan's eyes and said sincerely: "What my son is thinking this time is not that he wants to interfere with the military power, but that he hopes that the government can balance the situation."

Li Daoyan took a long breath, weighed it up and asked: "If Li Jingda is transferred to the governor of Dingzhou, who can take over the Sixth Army of Nanya?"

Li Shizhi said calmly: "The Governor of Chengzhou, Hou Yu."

"Hou Yu..."

A dark face appeared in Li Daoyan's mind, and he did not ask who would replace Hou Yu. After all, there was no shortage of martial arts veterans with sufficient qualifications in Daqi. This kind of thing would always be more than enough.

He asked again: "Why Hou Yu?"

Li Shizhi said calmly: "Father, when my son was serving as the Yizhifu in Chengzhou, he had several interactions with the Marquis. Although his reputation is not as famous as Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun, he is not weaker than the two in terms of military training. Moreover, he comes from the Dehua Hou family and has no friendship with the border army generals. In these years, the Hou Governor has shocked the seven tribes of Shazhou. He has both military merit and qualifications. There is no more suitable candidate than him."

Li Daoyan contemplated for a moment, then said slowly: "That's fine, I will discuss it with Privy Council Guo and others first, and then I will give advice to His Majesty."

Li Shizhi responded: "Yes."

Li Daoyan thought of the ministers waiting in the side hall, and couldn't help but frown slightly: "Ning Yuanfu and others..."

Li Shizhi cupped his hands and said, "Father, let your son send them away."

"it is good."

Li Daoyan nodded happily, and when Li Shizhi was about to turn around, he suddenly said: "Two days ago, your Majesty mentioned that the position of Minister of Rites was vacant, Chen Chun was transferred to the governor of Dingzhou, and Shangshu Xie Zhen was already old. Your Majesty is planning to transfer you to the position of Minister of Rites, etc. What do you think about taking over from Xie Zhen in two years?"

Li Shizhi was startled for a moment, then shook his head and said: "Since the father is a prime minister, it is not advisable for the son to be promoted too quickly to avoid attracting criticism. Furthermore, my son has been promoted to the Minister of Justice for less than two years, and he is not yet familiar with many disciplines. Only by studying diligently and carefully can we live up to the importance and expectations of His Majesty and Father."

Li Daoyan sighed softly: "It's best if you think like this. It's worth all the painstaking efforts your father has made for you. Go ahead and explain it to the adults so that they can calm down."

"Yes, father." Li Shizhi bowed and stepped back slowly.

As for the side hall, the furnishings here are elegant and the environment is quiet, but there is a smell of anxiety floating in the air.

Ning Yuanfu, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Ding Hui, the Minister of the Ministry of War, Le Qinyi, the Minister of the Ministry of Hubu, and five other senior officials above the fourth rank were seated in separate seats. When Li Shizhi walked in, everyone stood up to greet him.

"My father is feeling a little unwell and I dare not leave without permission. Please forgive me for waiting, sir."

Li Shizhi made a group salute and apologized gracefully.

Ding Hui immediately asked anxiously: "Is the Prime Minister in serious trouble? Has my dear brother sent someone to ask for the imperial doctor?"

"Brother Ding, don't worry, my father is just a little tired, nothing serious."

Li Shizhi smiled slightly at him, and there seemed to be some deep meaning between their eyes.

The eight people in the side hall are not only high-ranking officials in the court, but behind each of them is a powerful Jiangnan family with deep roots. Some good people in the public call them the "Nine Families" together with the Jinlin Li family.

In short, the combined power of these powerful families would make even the emperor find it difficult, because these are not just nine surnames, they control countless fields and industries, and there are countless people who depend on them for their livelihood.

After Li Shizhi made his opening remarks, everyone could not forcefully ask questions. In the end, Ning Yuanfu, the most senior official minister, said: "Brother, do we want to sit back and watch the border army continue to grow? Now Xiao Wangzhi, Li Tianrun and others have already It’s hard to control, I’m afraid it’s inappropriate if it continues like this.”

Li Shizhi pondered: "Brother Ning's words are reasonable, but the impact of the Heluo victory is too shocking. I'm afraid it's not appropriate to start a big war at this time."

Ning Yuanfu hesitated for a moment and said solemnly: "Everyone is a little uneasy. Brother Fool takes the liberty to ask Brother Xian, what is the old prime minister's plan?"

Li Shizhi replied: "My father's intention is that for the time being, the center and the frontier army are not in opposing positions, and we should not force the opposition. The frontier army cannot do without the support of the center, and the center cannot do without the protection of the frontier army." , the two should work together in the same boat and fight against foreign enemies."

"We all understand this truth, but..."

Le Qinyi shook his head and said with a wry smile: "If there is another Northern Expedition this year, the court will definitely have to increase taxes, otherwise the national treasury will not be able to support it."

"My lords, don't be impatient. The boat will be straight when it reaches the bridge."

Li Shizhi smiled and looked calm.

Everyone reluctantly agreed and left one after another after chatting for a few words.

There is no doubt that Li Daoyan's decision is difficult to satisfy them, because the cost of the war is an astronomical figure, and these costs will eventually fall on the people of Jiangnan.

However, due to the authority Li Daoyan had accumulated over more than ten years in power, no one dared to openly question it.

Li Shizhi stood in the corridor, calmly watching these senior officials leave, his eyes like a thick fog, making it difficult to see the clues.

About half an hour later, when the sky was dark, Li Shizhi came to a remote house in Dongcheng.

In the dark room, there was a general in his thirties waiting.

He was one of the twelve capital commanders in Nanya of the Beijing Army, and Yuan Xingqin, the capital commander of the Huwei Army.

After Li Shizhi came in, he raised his hand and said: "No need to be polite, sit down and talk."

Yuan Xingqin responded respectfully: "Yes, sir."

Li Shizhi said straight to the point: "Li Jingda will be transferred to the governor of Dingzhou soon. I have convinced my father that the court will let Hou Yu, the governor of Chengzhou, succeed the general of Nanya."

Yuan Xingqin looked happy, cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations, Sir, for taking the next step!"

“A thousand miles away is just one step away.”

Li Shizhi looked indifferent and said leisurely: "After Hou Yu takes office, you should not get too close to him. Just like Chen Lanyu has treated Li Jingda for more than a year, you only need to maintain official respect."

When twelve frontier army generals entered the capital, only Chen Lanyu remained. He succeeded Xu Wen as the commander-in-chief of the Zhenwei Army. Anyone with a discerning eye knew that this was the emperor inserting a nail into the Nanya Sixth Army commanded by Li Jingda.

As the number one general under Xiao Wangzhi, Chen Lanyu not only performed outstandingly on the battlefield, but was also able to navigate the quagmire-like officialdom of the capital.

Li Jingda has not thought about finding trouble with Chen Lanyu for more than a year, but the opponent has never shown any flaws. Without revealing anything, he gradually holds the Zhenwei Army in the palm of his hand, just like when he succeeded Xiao Wangzhi in taking charge of Huaizhou. Zhenbei Army.

As a colleague of Chen Lanyu, Yuan Xingqin saw this clearly, and he was afraid but also somewhat admired.

At this moment, after hearing Li Shizhi's instructions, Yuan Xingqin said seriously: "Please rest assured, Sir, I will know what to do."

Li Shizhi nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely do what I promised you."

After all, Yuan Xingqin was a general in the army who was not good at showing off, so he couldn't help but look excited when he heard this.

Upon seeing this, Li Shizhi said: "I just want to remind you that we meet today. It's still early, so don't be impatient."

Yuan Xingqin was shocked and quickly stood up and said: "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)