Late Tang

Li Xuan pondered for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "Do the two Qing families have candidates for the five township commanders?"

Lu Xie turned his head to look at Tian Lingzi. He knew Tian Lingzi's character. Although he was the prime minister of Zhengshitang, he was actually Tian Lingzi's puppet.In such an important personnel role, he did not dare to propose his candidate easily.

Tian Lingzi saw Lu Xie's gaze, of course he knew what he meant, and was very satisfied with his duty.He immediately opened his mouth and said: "The old slave thought that Cui Yunqing could be appointed as the military governor of Funing Army in Ziqing Town, Li Zhen could be appointed as the military governor of Denglai Town, Gai Yu could be appointed as the military governor of Andong Army in Jian'an Town, and Jingxiang could be appointed as the military governor of Funing Army in Ziqing Town. Liaoxi Town Pinglu Army Jiedushi, and then Guo Chengan served as Hengqing Town Zhendong Army Jiedushi."

Tian Lingzi quickly announced the candidates for the Jiedushi of the Five Towns, which surprised Li Xuan and Lu Xie.But in a blink of an eye, it became clear that Tian Lingzi's candidates for the five township commanders had one thing in common, that is, they were all civil servants.

The new commander-in-chief of the five towns has not been transferred from the outside, and they are all promoting Li Jing's old department.Except for Cui Yunqing who is Li Jing's teacher and newly transferred, Li Zhen, Gai Yu, Jing Xiang, and Guo Cheng'an are all Li Jing's old subordinates, and they are quite trustworthy masterminds. Each concurrently serves as the governor.Tian Lingzi chose these five people to be the commanders-in-chief of the five towns. Naturally, he had thought carefully. First of all, these people were either Li Jing's teachers or Li Jing's confidants.

Li Jing had no way to object to promoting these people to be commander-in-chief. If he objected, he would cut off his career as a general.If he really wanted to do this, it would be difficult for these important confidants to work hard for Li Jing in the future.

Second, using these civil servants as commanders-in-chief, Tian Lingzi didn't have to worry that they would disobey the imperial court's orders.After all, the biggest weakness of a civil servant as a commander in chief is that he does not have enough control over the army.

Split the township into five towns, divide the soldiers and horses of the township into the five towns, promote Li Jing's subordinates to be commanders of the five towns, separate Li Jing's subordinates, and split the township .As long as there is no army and territory, how can they worry about Li Jing.

"In addition to the appointment of Cui Yunqing, Li Zhen, Jingxiang, Gai Yu, and Guo Chengan as commanders-in-chief, I also ask Your Majesty to allow Li Jing's old department to serve as deputy envoys, marching commanders, marching judges, and support envoys of the five towns. In addition, ten The positions of governors and assistants of the six prefectures were also promoted from Li Jing's old department. In addition, some officials were transferred from the imperial court to the five towns to serve as county magistrates and Hezhou Liucao officials."

"In addition, there are eight seaports in Qingdao Port in Laizhou, Dengzhou Port in Dengzhou, Duli Port in Jinzhou, Qingni Port, Shirenwang Port in Xiuzhou, Qinhuangdao Port in Pingzhou, Linhaidun Port, and Anshi Port. , Set up a municipal ship department in Dengzhou Port, and set up customs offices in the remaining seven ports, and sent city ship envoys to collect taxes." Tian Lingzi never forgot about Dengzhou's maritime trade wealth. "According to my estimate, after the establishment of the Municipal Shipping Department, the imperial court can collect at least 500 million customs taxes from the eight ports every year."

Hearing the figure of 500 million guan, Li Xuan was not too moved.In his mind, money is just a number. 500 million is just a number.

He didn't have much objection to the plan to split up the town government proposed by Tian Lingzi and Lu Xie.After all, the strength of the town hall is indeed a bit too large.The imperial court's Guanzhong and Gyeonggi lands are nothing more than 18 forbidden troops.

Moreover, now that the Northeast is about to be pacified, he also thinks there is no need to keep such a large army.

According to Tian Lingzi's plan, the [-] united soldiers and township soldiers in the town were abolished, and then the [-] towns were divided into five and handed over to the five towns.Half of each town will be abolished as united soldiers, so that each town will only retain [-] standing soldiers, and the remaining [-] united soldiers trained in autumn and winter can protect the local area without worrying the court.

There was just one thing that made Li Xuan frowned.

"How should the king of Andong County arrange it? Li Jing has just made great achievements, but the court split up the town. I'm afraid it will chill Li Jing's heart." In case Li Jing refuses to agree, Li Yan doesn't know what the court should do? "Besides, the battle in Liaodong is now raging, and Goguryeo is about to be wiped out. I'm afraid the soldiers will find it difficult to accept the splitting of the town at this time."

"Your Majesty, this matter is not impossible to resolve." Tian Lingzi said immediately.

"What can you do?"

Tian Lingzi hesitated for a while, and finally said: "As long as your majesty moves to the eastern capital, establishes a camp, personally directs the war in Liaodong, and then appoints a general to go to Liaodong, then the affairs of Liaodong will be fine. I recommend Zheng Congyu, the Jiedu envoy of Hedong, as the master planner." The army went to the east of the capital to command the capital, and then recommended Cui Anqian, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and Zhang Zimian, the general of Zuo Weiwei, as the deputy capital commander, who led an army of [-] into Liao and was responsible for commanding the five towns in Liaodong."

Zheng Congxuan, Cui Anqian, and Zhang Zimian are all civil servants and generals who are both prestigious and capable of fighting.Although they had a good relationship with Li Jing, Tian Lingzi believed that they would not conspire with Li Jing.As long as these three generals lead [-] soldiers and horses into Liao, and the emperor sits in Luoyang, he can control the five towns.

Of course, the most critical thing is to transfer Li Jing away from Liaodong.Otherwise, with Li Jing around, no matter how divided they are, it won't have much effect.

"As for the King of Andong County, I request that Your Majesty decree to remove Li Jingzhen from the post of Jiedu Envoy and Pinglu Army Jiedu Envoy, and abolish the Anton Metropolitan Government, and remove Li Jing from the post of Anton Metropolitan Guard. The governors of Yingzhou, Dengzhou, and Qingzhou prefectures served by Jing were also released."

Li Xuan's face was a little ugly, in his mind, Li Jing was a meritorious minister, and he had made great contributions.Although he agreed to split up the town hall, it was only for the good of Li Jing and Li Tang Sheji.But if it was just dismissal, wouldn't that mean treating Li Jing as a criminal? How could the people of the world agree, how could the suppressing soldiers agree, and how could Li Jing agree? Even he, the emperor, could not agree.

Li Xuan waved his hand, shook his head and said: "Li Jing has made great contributions to Li Tang's country and society, so treat him favorably!"

Lu Xie hurriedly answered, "I think that Tian Gong's proposal to remove Li Jing's positions is also for the imperial court's control over the newly established five towns. As for Li Jing, of course the imperial court should treat him generously. I think it is better to add Li Jing's three divisions." He was granted the position of Taifu, and he was granted the Marshal of Lu Long, Chengde, Yiwu, Yichang, and Weibo Hebei Dao soldiers and horses, and the observation ambassador of Hebei Dao. Dao salt and iron transfer envoy and envoy of minting money, and then served as envoy of Yingtian Duzhi in Hebei Dao, and envoy of various tribes in custody."

This series of official positions are actually all false.

Marshal of He Dao Dao, Ambassador of Observation, Envoy of Salt and Iron Transfer, Envoy of Casting Money, Ambassador of Yingtian Duzhi, Ambassador of Yazhufan Tribes, Chijie Lulong Army, and Datong Army.

After all, Lu Xie meant to drive Li Jing out of Shandong Peninsula and Liaodong and Liaoxi.

After splitting up the town government and seizing Li Jing's territory, Li Jing was transferred to Hebei.

Although there are a series of names, it sounds very loud, such as Marshal of Hebei's soldiers and horses, Hebei Observation Ambassador.But in reality, even Li Jing, the Jiedu envoy of Lu Longjun and Datong Army, only had a name.

Tian Lingzi and Lu Xie not only drove Li Jing out of Zhendong and Liaodong and Liaoxi, but also threw Li Jing into Hebei.Hebei has always been an uncontrollable territory for the Tang Dynasty. Now that Li Jing is allowed to come to Hebei, how can the towns in Hebei obey the orders of a marshal who has no soldiers and no power?

Li Jing led his troops into Youzhou today, and took advantage of the civil strife in the Lulong army, but he failed to really control Youzhou, let alone the current situation.

For Tian Lingzi and the others, as long as Li Jing arrives in Hebei, no matter what the outcome is, they are all winners.

If Li Jing can't beat the Hebei Fanzhen, they are happy to see it. Anyway, as long as Li Jing leaves the town, they will take a big step forward.Even if Li Jing really defeated the towns in Hebei, on the side of the imperial court, the imperial court won the five towns of Liaodong and Liaoxi, and then cleaned up the towns in Hebei.

Moreover, Tian Lingzi and Lu Xie believed that the imperial court had not settled the towns in Hebei for more than a hundred years, and they did not believe that Li Jing would be able to subdue the feudal clans in Hebei if he went to the towns in Hebei.

"What if Li Jing refuses to hand over the governor?" Li Xuan asked the most worrying question in his heart.

Tian Lingzi said with a dark smile: "If the imperial court makes such a condition, if Li Jing still controls the town and refuses to hand it over, then his rebellious heart will be revealed. If this is the case, then of course His Majesty must immediately take advantage of his fledgling Destroy him at the time of abundance."

Li Xuan was still hesitating.

Lu Xie said loudly: "Your Majesty, think about how Emperor Xuanzong treated him kindly in Anlu Mountain back then, but how he treated Emperor Xuanzong and Datang in the end."

The Anshi Rebellion can be said to be an indelible scar in the hearts of every Tang emperor since Emperor Xuanzong.It was because of the Anshi Rebellion that the prosperous Tang Dynasty took a sharp turn for the worse.Because of the Anshi Rebellion, there was a rebellion in feudal towns and eunuchs.

Today's Li Jing is indeed very similar to An Lushan before the army.

At the same time, he was born in a humble background, rose in the same short period of time, and also held a heavy army.

It is necessary to take precautions before they happen.

"As Erqing said, add Li Jing Taifu, Marshal Chong Hebei Dao Bing Ma, Observation Ambassador, Salt and Iron Transfer Envoy, Coin Casting Envoy, Envoy Yingtian Duzhi, Ambassador of Abbot Tribes, Chijie Lulong Army, and Datong Army. "

After the agreement, on the same day, the emperor convened the eunuchs of the Zhengshitang and Beisi to discuss matters again.

However, this time it was in the Xuanzheng Hall, and besides the officials from the Nanya and Beisi, officials from the six ministries of the three provinces, Yushitai, and even the generals of the Shence Army also arrived.

As soon as Li Xuan opened his mouth, he announced the matter of his personal conquest.

After announcing that ten days later, he will personally conquer and move to Luoyang.At the same time, Li Jingtai Fu, the king of Andong County, and Marshal Ma of Hebei Dao Bing were added, and then the town was divided into five towns, the town commanders and the appointment of the following governors.Then, it was announced that Zheng Congxuan, who was transferred to the east of the river, would be the capital commander of the Jingdong camp of the Shence Army. Cui Anqian and Zhang Zimian would be the deputy capital commanders. .

The emperor's order could not be refuted at all, and he was immediately handed over to his subordinates to draft an imperial edict, which was then reviewed by Zhongshu and sent to Shangshu Province for execution.

The edict was announced immediately, and officials from all walks of life immediately announced the edict to Taiyuan Prefecture, Henan, Hebei, Liaodong and other places.

The news that the emperor wanted to conscript himself, that the township government was split up, and that Li Jing was transferred to Hebei immediately spread throughout Chang'an.Moreover, the news spread around like the wind quickly, and after continuous processing, it became more and more mysterious. For a while, rumors arose, Guan Zhongshan, South, Henan, Hedong and Hebei.

Not long after, news spread back to Chang'an from Henan and other places, and it began to spread that Li Jing, the king of Andong County, had conquered Goguryeo, and some people said that Li Jing had rebelled in anger after receiving the imperial edict. Now an army of 50 horses has entered the pass, taken Youzhou, and attacked Taiyuan.

There were even rumors that the emperor was surrounded by Li Jing's army as soon as he arrived in Luoyang!

All of a sudden, the entire Guanzhong panicked, and rumors spread everywhere! (To be continued.)