Jiuxi

Chapter 677 Chapter 675 [Clothes are not as good as new ones]

Imperial Palace, Chongzheng Hall.

Li Zongben looked at Han Zhongjie standing in the hall and said calmly, "Yesterday afternoon, Duke Rong presented a memorial to commend the soldiers of the Feiyu Army, and I have approved it. In addition, what happened to Li Jingda?"

Han Zhongjie said respectfully: "Your Majesty, perhaps it is because he received favors from Duke Rong when he was the governor of Dingzhou, so he came forward to help this time."

Li Zongben's eyes narrowed slightly, and he remained silent.

Li Jingda's statement was indeed unexpected. Even the emperor did not expect it. Li Jingda's two years in Dingzhou must not have been happy. He was not the kind of person who was tolerant and open-minded. How could he not harbor resentment towards Xiao Wangzhi and Lu Chen?

As a result, he chose to stand on Xiao Wangzhi's side. Perhaps, as Han Zhongjie analyzed, it was because after Li Jingda lost the northern part of Dingzhou, Xiao Wangzhi helped him stabilize the morale of the army and reverse the situation, allowing him to make up for his mistakes.

Thinking of this, Li Zongben felt unhappy and said slowly: "Li Jingda... I remember he was born in the Luyang Li family?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Han Zhongjie knew the emperor's intention as soon as he heard it, and immediately reminded him: "Although the Luyang Li family is slightly inferior to the Jinlin Li family, they are also a famous family in the Jiangnan area. The reason why Li Jingda was able to replace Hu Hai as the general of the Southern Court was that the Luyang Li family played a great role. Moreover, with Guo Congyi and Wang Yan and others being executed for treason, there are not many veterans left in the Beijing Army. Li Jingda's qualifications are only second to mine, and even more senior than the Yongding Marquis. This is the reason why he dared to refute the Yongding Marquis the day before yesterday."

Li Zongben said expressionlessly: "In this case, I cannot easily touch him."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty."

Han Zhongjie seemed confident and said calmly, "Even if Li Jingda chooses to support Duke Rong, he alone cannot change the situation. I have already talked with Marquis Yongding and reached a consensus on some things. I believe he will stand firmly on your side in the future. As for the other two military ministers, Shen Yulai is your majesty's man, and Chen Lanyu is obviously a smart man who understands the situation. As long as your majesty shows him more favor, it will be enough to make him change his mind."

According to his analysis, four of the six military ministers in the Military Academy will become supporters of the emperor. Even if Xiao Wangzhi still holds the status of chief, even if he is the most meritorious person in the current Da Qi army, it is probably difficult for him to stop a chariot with his bare hands.

The most crucial thing is that the Imperial Guards and even the Beijing Camp are controlled by these four people. Although Xiao Wangzhi is a Duke, he has no foundation in the capital. Without the support of the generals, he, as the Chief Military Minister, will naturally not be able to get what he wants.

In the arrangements made by the late emperor before his death, promoting Chen Lanyu to the position of marching commander of the Jinwu Camp was a crucial link. This person could assist Xiao Wangzhi in grasping the power of the Military Academy. Han Zhongjie and Zhang Xu would check and balance each other, while Shen Yulai would lead the imperial guards alone and remain aloof from the outside. This would be enough to form a stable military top brass.

Just as Li Zongben had never expected that Li Jingda would become a supporter of Xiao Wangzhi, the late emperor had not expected that Chen Lanyu, a general from the Huaizhou military system, would one day go against Xiao Wangzhi.

Li Zongben's brows gradually relaxed.

As Li Daoyan returned to his hometown to live out his days, the power structure in the court quietly changed. Xue Nanting was naturally promoted to the position of left prime minister, becoming the head of all officials, while the Minister of Personnel Zhong Cheng was promoted to the position of right prime minister.

Li Shizhi, the former Minister of Rites, was transferred to become the Minister of Personnel. Li, who had been overshadowed by his father's glory for the past twenty years, has become an indispensable figure in the court.

The adjustment of the civil service group was very smooth, and Li Zongben was more concerned about the top military officials.

In the ten years after the late emperor ascended the throne, the power of the Beijing army had always been controlled by the Jiangnan clans, so the late emperor had such a difficult life. Li Zongben had always seen this and was determined not to go through that difficult old path again.

Now that Shen Yulai, Han Zhongjie, Zhang Xu and Chen Lanyu have nothing to do with the Jiangnan clans, Li Zongben can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

After thinking for a moment, he said leisurely: "That being said, it's not good to embarrass Duke Rong too much. You should still respect him at ordinary times."

Han Zhongjie understood and said, "I understand."

Li Zongben continued, "Liu Shouguang submitted a secret memorial a few days ago. He believes that in order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the troops in Jingzhou, the commander should not make any rash moves, especially Fan Wendi and Zhang Zhan. They have a high prestige in the army. If they are changed easily, it may cause people to be uneasy. What do you think?"

Fan Wendi, Zhang Zhan and others were all old subordinates of Li Tianrun. They had both experience and military achievements. Han Zhongjie naturally knew them well. Hearing this, he said calmly, "Your Majesty, I think what Commander Liu said makes sense. Since Duke Wei has already resigned from the military power, some things can be done slowly. Besides, the Feiyu Army has been transferred to Dingzhou, as have Xu Gui, Huo Zhen and Huangfu Yu. In fact, Duke Wei is quite sensible. He knows what your Majesty is worried about, so he took the initiative to request that the three men go to Dingzhou, which is enough to prove that he cares about your Majesty's intentions."

"I have never doubted the loyalty of Duke Wei."

Li Zongben smiled slightly, and then said: "Speaking of Dingzhou, I wonder when Lu Chen plans to launch the second northern expedition."

Han Zhongjie was slightly surprised: "Your Majesty, this matter requires long-term consideration."

Li Zongben stood up and walked to the west. He looked at the map of the world's territory hanging on the wall, and said with his hands behind his back, "The greatest regret of the late emperor's life was that he could not return to his homeland and see the old capital again in person. As the successor, I dare not forget this for a day. The Northern Expedition is something that must be done. Compared with the many constraints faced by the late emperor when he was alive, my current situation is much better, and I cannot stop moving forward."

Han Zhongjie did not have much resistance to this. He was just a little surprised when he heard about this, so he said respectfully: "Your Majesty is determined to march north. I will plan carefully and make relevant preparations in advance."

"We should prepare earlier. After all, the Northern Expedition will require countless manpower and resources."

Li Zongben nodded slightly, turned around and said, "Let's set it for two years. I hope to receive the victory report of the border troops retaking Heluo in the early spring of the third year of Dingzheng."

The third year of Dingzheng?

Han Zhongjie realized after a moment's thought that the current emperor had not changed the reign title. This year was the fifteenth year of Jianwu. It seemed that when winter passed and spring came, it would be the first year of Dingzheng.

He pondered the word "Dingzheng" and said eagerly, "I firmly believe that Your Majesty will receive the good news."

Everything was gradually settled, and Li Zongben felt quite relaxed. He turned around and walked back to the dragon throne and sat down, saying calmly: "By the way, there is one more thing. Qin Zheng once again submitted a petition to resign from the post of Director of the Weaving Bureau, and I have approved it. I will grant him the title of marquis, land, gold and silver, and allow him to return home to recuperate." After the assassination case, Qin Zheng lost control of the Weaving Bureau, and during this period, the three directors shared the duties of the bureau.

He did not continue to insist and submitted seven resignation letters in a row, but Li Zongben kept them in his pocket and did not send them out. This matter was known to everyone in the court and the country.

Han Zhongjie's heart moved. He stared at the emperor's deep gaze and said slowly, "Lord Qin's hometown is in Yuanzhou in the southwest. The road is long and full of mountains and rivers, and it is not peaceful along the way."

Li Zongben was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Let him die of illness in his hometown next spring."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Han Zhongjie bowed in response without saying much, and then took his leave.

About half an hour later, another important third-rank official walked into the Chongzheng Hall.

"Your Highness, I, Su Yunqing, pay my respects to your Majesty!"

"No need to pay tribute."

Li Zongben looked up at the solemn official of the Textile Bureau and smiled, "You have done a great job in helping me with a few things recently. I am very pleased that I did not make a mistake in choosing you."

Su Yunqing bowed his head and replied, "It is my honor to serve Your Majesty. How dare I not do my best."

Li Zongben said gently, "I summoned you to the palace today for two reasons."

Su Yunqing said: "Your Majesty, please give your orders."

Li Zongben said slowly, "For the first thing, I have allowed Qin Zheng to resign and return home, and the post of the Director of the Weaving Department is vacant. Through my observation during this period of time, you are obviously the best choice. Whether it is your loyalty to me or your ability to do things, you are better than the other two. There is no reason for me not to choose you. Therefore, I want to appoint you as the Director of the Weaving Department. I just wonder if you are willing to share my worries?"

The Weaving Bureau was different from other government offices in the imperial court. It was the emperor's personal army, and all appointments and dismissals of officials were decided by the emperor alone.

Su Yunqing quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I will serve you loyally until my death!"

"My dear, you are indeed my arm."

Li Zongben's smile grew wider, and he said with relief, "Another thing, I plan to set up a Discipline Department within the Textile Department, imitating the duties of the Imperial Censorate in the court. What do you think, my dear minister?"

Su Yunqing was not lost in the joy of promotion. He immediately realized the emperor's intention. This move was naturally to put a shackle on the Weaving Bureau.

It can also be seen from this that the emperor did not completely trust him. The reason why he chose him to replace Qin Zheng was because the Weaving Bureau was too important and the person in charge must not be a mediocre person, and the emperor currently had no more suitable confidant candidate.

He said sincerely: "Your Majesty, this is a long-term consideration. I absolutely support it."

Li Zongben smiled and nodded.

When the monarch and his subjects were in harmony, Su Yunqing suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I have a request."

Li Zongben was just trying to win him over, so he said gently, "You can talk about it."

Su Yunqing took a deep breath and said carefully, "Lord Qin is resigning and returning home, and I want to see him off."

Li Zongben looked at his face and asked with interest: "You can decide this matter by yourself, why do you have to ask me?"

Su Yunqing hesitated for a moment, then said frankly: "Your Majesty, Lord Qin has been very kind to me. If he had not recommended me to the late emperor, I would not have been able to come to the capital to serve, let alone have the opportunity today. But I also know that it was because of Lord Qin's negligence that Your Majesty was in danger, which is my fault as a minister. Now that I have the trust of Your Majesty, perhaps I should draw a clear line between me and him, but I still cannot forget Lord Qin's kindness, so I must make it clear to Your Majesty."

"My dear minister, you are a magnanimous gentleman."

Li Zongben did not take it as an offense and praised him: "Throughout history, there have been countless people who have been ungrateful for power. My dear minister, you first protected Yang Jingxuan, and now you have not forgotten Qin Zheng's kindness in supporting you. You are a man who values ​​friendship and loyalty. If all the ministers in the court can be like this, why would I worry about the failure of the Great Qi? Go and send him off for me."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

Su Yunqing bowed and left immediately.

Walking out of the majestic and solemn Chongzheng Hall, Su Yunqing looked up at the blue sky, then left with steady steps.

He looked calm and composed, as if nothing had happened, but he silently said to himself in his heart: "Send it off?"

"What do you want to do, Your Majesty?"

(End of this chapter)