The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 176 Weighing
At the same time, in Xingqing Palace, Zichen Hall.

Li Longji summoned Li Linfu and Niu Xianke to discuss state affairs.

Li Longji asked, "Shiba Lang allowed his officers and soldiers to embezzle food and wages. Has there been any result?"

Li Linfu said, "Your Majesty, this is a complete misunderstanding. Feng Changqing led his troops to march from Dadouba Valley, and Gao Xianzhi marched from Lintao. They marched thousands of miles. In order to confuse the enemy, they made large adjustments to the food and fodder, which caused misunderstandings."

"Hmm." Li Longji seemed to be thinking about something. "The army has no fixed form. Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi are both capable of marching and fighting. They not only confused the enemy, but also confused our own people. Next time, we should find out more about this kind of thing before reporting it."

"Yes." Li Linfu responded.

The reason why Li Linfu was able to act impartially this time, not only because Li Heng was in Chang'an, but also because the people who impeached Li Heng had nothing to do with him.

Deep down, Li Linfu was not willing to make things difficult for Li Heng. The grudge between him and Li Heng was only to cope with Li Longji's task, so he would not really go to great lengths to kill Li Heng.

Except for the military supervisor who could not get paid, most of the people who impeached Li Heng this time were Li Heng's men.

People on Li Heng's side, seeing that Li Heng's achievements were increasing, felt a strong sense of crisis and always wanted to do something.

Li Longji pondered for a moment and then asked, "Should Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing stay in Chang'an to serve?"

Li Linfu was stunned for a moment, and said, "These two are rare talents, but their strengths are in marching and fighting, and they are not good at government affairs. If they stay in Chang'an to serve, I am afraid they will take advantage of their weaknesses and avoid their strengths."

Li Linfu wanted to block the possibility of frontier generals becoming officials or prime ministers in the court based on their military merits.

He did this for the sake of power.

However, the blame for preventing frontier generals from becoming prime ministers cannot be placed entirely on Li Linfu.

When Zhang Jiuling was in charge, he did not allow Niu Xianke and Zhang Shougui to enter the court. This did have some rationality.

Li Longji pondered and asked Niu Xianke beside him, "What do you think, Niu Xiang?"

Niu Xianke was born a frontier general. He wanted to say a few words for the frontier generals, but except for military affairs, where he dared to speak his mind and express his opinions against Li Linfu's words, he obeyed Li Linfu in everything else.

Niu Xianke hesitated for a moment and replied, "I second the words of the Right Prime Minister."

After hearing this, Li Longji felt that Li Linfu was right.

Border generals should just focus on fighting wars, and leave court affairs to professionals.

Li Longji pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, let's let them serve in the frontier. During this period, Shibalang was fighting against Tubo in Helong, and the Arabs took the opportunity to do whatever they wanted in the Western Regions. The Tang Dynasty needs to respond. Let Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing go back to Anxi with Shibalang."

"Yes."

As long as they did not stay in the court, Li Linfu did not care where Gao Xianzhi and the others went, so he did not object.

"Also, Shibalang borrowed grain from the wealthy families in Longyou Road in the name of the government office. Does the court have the money to repay him?" Li Longji asked again.

Li Linfu said, "I don't have any extra money at the moment, so I'm afraid I'll have to wait a while."

"Yes." Li Longji agreed, "It's difficult for the court, so we should focus on war and disaster relief first."

Li Longji's words clearly showed that he wanted to shirk his responsibility.

Li Longji was somewhat suspicious that Li Heng could easily borrow money from the wealthy families in Longyou Road, so he wanted to shirk his responsibility and worsen the relationship between Li Heng and the wealthy families in Longyou Road.

Anyway, the money was borrowed by Li Heng, and if they couldn't get it back, they would naturally ask Li Heng.

However, when Li Heng "borrowed money", he thought that the court would not make up for the deficit, but he had no choice but to "borrow".

Because compared to borrowing money, using one's own money to pay for the army's food and wages is obviously more intimidating.

Li Longji was talking to Li Linfu, but Niu Xianke was dozing off. Li Longji looked at Niu Xianke in silence for two seconds and said, "Prince Niu, you are not feeling well, so go back and rest first."

"Hmm?" Niu Xianke woke up a little and said, "Thank you, Saint."

After Niu Xianke finished speaking, he stood up and walked into the hall, kneeling down to pay homage to Li Longji.

Li Longji quickly helped Niu Xianke up and asked, "Why is this happening, Niu Xiang?"

Niu Xianke said: "My health is getting worse and worse, and I am gradually unable to handle the affairs of the court. I don't know how many days I can stay by your side. When I think of this, I feel guilty and anxious."

Li Longji said: "If you take good care of yourself, you will be as healthy as before. I will send an imperial physician to treat you, so you don't have to worry."

"Thank you, Saint." Niu Xianke bowed to Li Longji again before retreating.

Li Longji looked at Niu Xianke's back and pondered for a long time before saying, "Prince Yong requested to transfer Jiannan, and the Crown Prince also requested for him. What do you think I should do, Right Prime Minister?"

Yong Wang Li Lin was raised by Li Heng and is now considered Li Heng's man. If Li Lin is really allowed to go to Jiannan, it will be regarded as strengthening Li Heng's wings. Li Linfu is rather opposed to this.

Moreover, Li Longji always had strict control over the princes, and all the military governors he appointed for the princes were remote commanders.

Based on the above two points, Li Linfu replied: "If the royal family is promoted to a higher position, the flesh and blood will be broken. Please think twice, sage."

The Wei dynasty weakened the royal family and powerful ministers usurped the throne, while the Jin dynasty enfeoffed the royal family and left their families asunder.

Li Longji not only knew this, but also had a clear understanding of the development of the royal family throughout history.

It was because the Wei Dynasty weakened the royal family, which led to the usurpation of the country by powerful ministers that the Western Jin Dynasty learned from the experience and enfeoffed many royal family members as kings, which led to the Rebellion of the Eight Kings.

Then the Eastern Jin Dynasty learned from the experience of the Western Jin Dynasty and began to suppress the royal family, but as a result, the power was taken away by other surnames.

Then time came to the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The Liu Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty learned from the experience of the Western Jin Dynasty and let the royal family guard the vassal states. As a result, the royal family members with the surname Liu slaughtered each other.

Whether to suppress or reuse the royal family is like a cycle.

Li Longji's initial idea was to find a compromise and let the kings rule remotely without giving them fiefdoms. This way, they would be in name only and could provide a balance.

However, because of Li Ying, his idea had some deviations.

But he did not think that this was an absolutely bad thing, because whether it was enfeoffment of royal family members or appointment of ministers, the core was to have enough power.

As long as you have enough power, you can use anyone or dismiss anyone with just one word.

Li Longji believed that he had this power.

Moreover, Li Heng had made great contributions, and he had been suppressing other princes, which would have caused dissatisfaction among the other princes.

In addition, Jiannan is a prosperous place. Sending Li Lin to Jiannan can also contain Longyou.

Therefore, it is better to let some of those who are willing to go out. If another prince like Li Heng can be found, the Tang Dynasty will be one step closer.

Li Longji thought for a long time and said to Li Linfu, "Prince Yong has both talent and virtue. It would be good to let him go out and exercise. But he is not familiar with border affairs, so he may not be able to be a vassal commander. Like Shibalang, let him go to Jiannan to be a promotion and demotion envoy, right prime minister. What do you think?"

Although Li Longji said this in a negotiating tone, Li Linfu was well aware of Li Lin and Li Heng's recent actions, so when Li Longji asked this question, he had basically made up his mind.

Moreover, Li Longji gave him the title of Demotion and Promotion Envoy, not Jiedushi, which could be considered a compromise.

Li Linfu had no choice but to follow Li Longji's words and said, "The sage is wise and decisive. This is the best way to achieve the best of both worlds."

(End of this chapter)