The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 240: Heavenly Ceremony and the Meeting of Princes (Part )
Now that someone has started the conversation, everything else will be easy.

It's just that the scene was a little bit... Li Zan glared at Wu Xiong: "Jiedushi of Fengxiang? You are here in Qishan to ask the emperor for help as a subject. Are you qualified?"

Wu Xiong immediately sneered: "You are a virgin! Don't you see that there are many surrendered ministers in Lingyan Pavilion and most of the twenty-eight generals in Yuntai are rebels? I have turned over a new leaf and only want to lead the horse for the saint. If you don't agree, you can have a fight."

"Your Majesty!" Sima Kanwu said loudly, "The chariot and cavalry are important generals in the Han and Wei dynasties. General Qi cannot afford to be disgraced again. Wu Erlang has the eyes of an eagle and the back of a wolf. He has the appearance of Li Maozhen. It is impossible to get him."

"Holy Lord!" Wu Xiong kowtowed, "Li Maozhen has already jumped out on his own! Li Zan is one, and there are Sima and Kanwu! The two of them formed a clique, slandered me, and framed me!"

When the others saw this, they avoided the Fengxiang Jiedushi and the General of Chariots and Cavalry and said nothing.

Wang Congxun extended his hand to Liu Xianyuan and the others and said, "Please come in, gentlemen."

"How dare I go first?" Liu Xianyuan declined with a smile.

Wang Congxun raised his hands and said, "Please follow the others."

"The grand ceremony is coming soon, how long will it take to give way?" Li Renmei secretly despised a bunch of hypocrites: "The great general of the Holy Tang Dynasty is just what I like. As for the governor, it doesn't matter." He closed his eyes, pointed at the paper with his index finger, and hummed: "...point east, point west, point north, south, point to whom..."

He paused and said, "I'll order!"

When he opened his eyes, Zhao Fu was already beside him congratulating him: "Jiedushi of Tianan Army? Tianan, the emperor is safe, the Celestial Empire is safe. It has a very good meaning."

"Haha!" Li Renmei clapped her hands and said proudly, "Thank you very much."

Mei Zang Qiqi couldn't help but complain: "What merit have you made? How dare you be ahead of me?"

"Just throwing out some ideas, just throwing out some ideas!" Li Renmei laughed awkwardly, not caring at all, and hummed leisurely: Tianan Army, Tianan Army... General, General..."

Soon, several people finished their selections:

Wang Congxun was the governor of Shaanxi and the general of civilization.

Zhazhu was the governor of the Ever-Victorious Army and the general of the Expedition to the Barbarians.

Zhao Fu was the governor of Huaixi and the general.

Liu Xianyuan was the governor of the Changsheng Army and the general who swept the enemy.

Mo Zangqiqi was the military governor of Zhenjiang Army and the official general.

The three who were spraying each other also reached a consensus:
Wu Xiong was the governor of Shuofang Army and the general of chariots and cavalry.

Li Zan was the governor of Pinghai Army and the general who was responsible for suppressing rebellion.

Sima Kanwu was the governor of Fengxiang and the general who protected the country.

At the repeated request of the sage, Zhao Kuangning, who had already taken over the position of commander of Jingzhou, chose a general title: General Pingluo.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Commander Cai!"

"Congratulations, General Shaanxi."

They were all beaming with joy and congratulated each other.

"General Guanzheng..." Wu Xiong murmured, and he liked this one better. He leaned over and asked Qiqi: "Qiqi, do you want to change?"

Qi Qi frowned and said coldly: "Get lost!"

"Hey, you Tangut barbarian!" Wu Xiong raised his fist.

Nangong Chongyan shouted, "Are you going to rebel?"

Wu Xiong put his hands on the ground and said, "Madam, I dare not."

Nangong snorted coldly.

Wu Xiong raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, the remaining commander positions and general titles..."

"The position is vacant. Zhu Jin, Li Cunxiao, Zhang Jide, Helian Weihuan, Cao Zhe..."

"Zhu Jin and Li Cunxiao?" Wu Xiong was immediately dissatisfied: "What achievements have they made? How dare they rank among us!"

Nangong Chongyan slammed the table and said, "Shut up!"

"Yes."

"Name and merit are equal in exchange. My title of general and position are not a commodity. They may increase in the future, but maybe not." After answering Wu Xiong's curiosity, the sage looked around at the ten people who were kneeling upright, "Live in a good place, have a good heart, be kind to others, and be trustworthy, so there is no blame. Be cautious and practice self-cultivation, don't be impeached, please remove me, or cause trouble for me. I will drink from the golden cup with you, but I will not spare my sword. So the country has regular punishments, and I have family rules. Especially you, Wu Xiong."

Wu Xiong's scalp was numb, but he was flexible after all. He touched his forehead to the ground and said forcefully, "Your servant Xiong respectfully accepts the commandments!"

The other nine people crossed their hands and bowed again: "I accept the commandments."

There was a sudden commotion next door, and someone reported at the door: "The etiquette envoy Zheng Xiang has arrived, please send the carriage."

"Okay." The saint stood up suddenly, his tall red and dark figure turned his back to them: "Call here."

The ten generals stood up at the same time, saluted him, went out to put on their shoes and crowns, then came back, wearing armor and holding swords, and gathered around him.

The interior and exterior are colorful. Yellow, purple, red, white, flowers, everything. The virtuous, the virtuous, the Zhao, the Liang, the brocade clothes and hairpins. The imperial censors' Jieqi crowns are very eye-catching. The imperial concubines all wear formal clothes. The ministers wear grand crowns. The officials above the fifth rank all wear pearl crowns with different numbers of tassels, all wear green clothes and red skirts, and all carry swords.

Si Tu Liu Chongwang also wore a full set of imperial robes and a crown with nine tassels, and also carried a sword. The style was similar to the crown Cao Cao wore when he was promoted to King of Wei in a TV series he had watched.

He walked up to the sage and whispered, "This is the first time your majesty will appear in public before the princes and Chinese and foreign generals. You must remain calm. No matter what happens, I will protect you from the wind and rain."

I wasn’t nervous, I had seen many big scenes in my past and present lives: “Don’t worry, Situ.”

"Your Majesty is coming!" a loud shout.

Ding, ding, ding... the sound of bells rang continuously, spreading to all directions, and the saint boarded the Jade Road carriage.

Zhu Wen's coffin was escorted to the end of the team by Zhou Xuan's troops. The thief would be taken to Yuanqiuting Liao as a sacrifice. Looking along the convoy, the dark Shangyang City gradually lit up with lights, and torches were lit at some intersections and roadsides. The desolate palace road was illuminated by these candlelights, and the flames swayed in the cold wind in the early morning, lengthening the shadows of the city walls and the ruins of the towers.

Suddenly, the dull, evil, strange, and mournful tunes of ghost drums, spirit drums, gourds, and eight-hole flutes were heard. And these were just the beginning. Like a signal, they gradually triggered the sound of gongs and drums. Pipa, konghou, xun... all accompanied the singing, and male and female singers sang.

"Is this the way to tell people to enjoy the ghosts that Rounu said?" The saint observed the situation outside from the window. Men and women in black clothes and red skirts walked in the front and the outermost part, playing music and drums. Some of them wore four-eyed masks, some made of gold, and some made of furry bear skin. The movements of the music were exaggerated, as if they were swaggering and calling out to something.

The clothes were gorgeous and bright, as if they were celebrating a happy occasion, but the music and atmosphere made the Saint's hair stand on end, as if they were holding a funeral for him. "Rounu." The Saint poked the concubine who had deliberately stayed by his side.

"what happened?"

"Nothing." The saint wanted to say that I was scared, but he held back.

His palm felt hot, and Concubine Shu's hot and delicate five fingers tightly clasped his left hand and exerted force twice.

After a while, the music finally changed, and the ghost feast ended. The music became "Yuhe Lv", which the saint had heard before. The one who was praying to the gods, reported to Haotian, the five gods, Li Yuan, and Li Shimin: It's time to eat takeout!
The procession advanced slowly, the eight musical instruments played in unison, and the "Yuhe Lv" was also very solemn, which made the saints involuntarily bow down in worship. However, no one in the procession spoke, their expressions were wooden, and they walked silently with their heads down. The imperial road was dim, with abandoned and dilapidated buildings and rustling grass and trees on both sides. The torches shone on the Shinto officials in black clothes and red skirts, with furry bear skin masks, just like a hundred ghosts parading at night.

"I'll take a nap. Call me when we get to Yingtian Gate." The saint was in a daze, his eyelids were drooping, and he dozed off in Concubine Shu's arms. Concubine Shu held him on her thighs. She was also very sleepy, so she forced herself to stay awake.

……

On August 23, the second year of Qianning, it was a night in the autumn when wild geese flew south. The mist had obscured the towers, the cold river was shrouded in smoke, and the vast Luo River was rippling with broken silver light. The crescent moon was slanting, the willows were swaying, and on the Tianjin Bridge, two people stood with their hands behind their backs.

"The scenery of the south is totally different from that of Yan and Zhao." Wang Zimei's eyes were filled with envy and compassion: "I remember flying over the grass, wearing iron armor and monk's clothes. No one recognized me on the Tianjin Bridge, I leaned on the railing to watch the sunset. Reading this, I feel sad that my talent is not appreciated and I have no way to serve my country. So in Changshan, I said that I was unlucky, had a bad life, and made a big thief. Now in Henan, I see the devil with my own eyes, and think about what this generation has done... Even if they become officials, they are still cruel and cunning people. Jia people, you are too utilitarian."

"If everyone in the world were the same kind of people, they would kill each other if they couldn't get the love they wanted, rob if they couldn't get the money they wanted, and rebel if they couldn't pass the imperial examination. That would be the cause of chaos."

"Do not promote the virtuous, so that the people will not fight. Do not value rare goods, so that the people will not steal. Do not show off or flaunt things that may arouse greed, jealousy, and pursuit... Fill the people's stomachs, but simplify their minds. Keep the people's bodies strong, but confuse their minds, train them to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic, in order to prepare for foreign aggression and internal strife. Narrow their horizons, lower their wisdom, and limit their household registration. In short, guide the people to have no knowledge, no desires, no ambitions, and be content with their own land and look at the world from a narrow perspective. Then, even if there are naturally smart people, they cannot easily mobilize the people, and the fish that slip through the net cannot cause any waves. This is how we get a prosperous and peaceful era."

"Now it seems that the way of kingly governance is indeed..." Wang Zimei sighed slightly: "The Holy Tang Dynasty has been in danger many times because it is too lenient and too kind. Rebellion does not involve family extermination, and common people can discuss the ministers. Scholars are self-centered in their studies, and corrupt officials are often demoted, but rarely killed; there is too much freedom. Merchants are everywhere. Men prefer to join the army to seek rewards and military merits, and hate farming. From the royal family to the wealthy families, women rack their brains to beautify their looks, indulge in entertainment, and indulge in carnal desires. Warriors are mostly literate and have flexible brains. All kinds of people are pursuing profits, indulging in lust, and moving. The people are not pure, the soldiers are not pure, and the number of fools is not large enough... With such a national condition, I am afraid that it will only be a temporary solution to eliminate the Bian bandits."

"The king's evil is too great!" Wang Zimei relaxed her tightly clenched right hand: "Tsk tsk, I'm beginning to worry about the country and the people again. No, it should be called Qing Tan. Ah Xiu, why are you ignoring me?"

"Why do you say that?" Xiao Xiu leaned on the railing. "The world is in chaos, with monsters and demons everywhere. It's a time of anger and pain for the heroes. Zimei and I share the same sentiments on this matter. I want to serve the king, why do you keep stopping me?"

Wang Zimei's face was bitter: "The court is not like a vassal state. Besides, the only thing a warrior can do in the court is to fight. As I said just now, the current problems cannot be solved by killing alone. For example, if someone likes to have promiscuous relationships with men and women, can you chop off all the adulterers? Unless the saint appoints you as prime minister and lets you take charge of the court to realize your ambitions. But is it possible? Do you have the talent to be a prime minister?"

Xiao Xiu patted the railing without saying anything.

"A Xiu, you are naive." Wang Zimei said faintly, "You think you can do it because you understand the situation clearly and can explain the cause and effect. You think all you need is a Holy Lord to give you a platform. But this is wrong. Is there a possibility that knowing does not mean you can do it?"

"You and I are in the vassal state, outside the situation. It is easy for us to write passionate articles like Huang Chao did on the Tianjin Bridge, and it is also easy for us to criticize current affairs and list a lot of problems and countermeasures. But if you are given the opportunity to get started, you will feel hesitant and have difficulty in taking steps. You will also make stupid mistakes that you shouldn't make. Not only may you not be able to solve the problem, but it may worsen the situation."

“This is called seeing and talking, talking and doing, doing and doing well and doing it right.”

“There are many people who can see, speak, see clearly, hit the nail on the head, and are good at finding faults, but there are very few who can do it themselves and do it well. There are many things in this world where you can foresee the results but cannot change the process. You know clearly where that person or thing will go and what the outcome will be, but you cannot stop it. This is called ability.”

"If a family can do this well, they are called great officials and virtuous wives. If a state, county, or army can do this well, they are called capable ministers and capable generals. If a government can do this well, they are called pillars of the country."

"He who is good in the world is called a sage king."

"Which level are you on?"

Xiao Xiu was in a trance after hearing what he said. After a long while, he murmured, "In my humble opinion, the world is still in chaos. What should we do in this chaotic world?"

Wang Zimei looked out at the river and said, "The military government's policy is consistent."

"Send military girls like Nangong Chongyan and Yuwen Rou to the palace to serve the emperor, and use the families and vassal states behind them to support and protect the saint. Zhun Dao is willing to serve the court and give money to fight against Zhu... All these things are done in different ways to achieve the same goal - to stabilize the country. The world can only be at peace if virtue is cultivated. If this cannot be done, it is impossible to continue to add manpower and material resources, and waste the foundation to be buried with the revolution."

"It's also because he has someone in the court. In ancient times, when states were established, whichever princes or prefectures had more officials in the court, the military and national affairs would lean towards that country or place."

"It is also to maintain the bottom line and avoid the use of force as much as possible in the struggle between Chang'an and Hebei, and between the emperor and his subjects. In a situation where both the inside and the outside are important, neither side can afford the cost of a falling out as they have family businesses to pass on."

"As for the vassal states, it is enough to help suppress the Bian bandits and restore the emperor's authority. I believe the saint also knows that Chengde cannot be a knife to cut down the vassal states and help the court to attack the vassal states."

"However, in this process, it is possible to suppress military men, change customs, punish arrogant vassals, fool the people, suppress peasant uprisings, and eliminate the four barbarians. Severe punishments and harsh laws can be used to suppress commercial activities and discussions on classics, and to control merchants and scholars. In these matters, there is no competition between Chang'an and Zhao. The interests of the emperor and the princes are the same."

"But..." At this point, Wang Zimei hesitated to speak.

Xiao Xiu asked curiously: "What?"

"The chaos in the world comes from human hearts and desires, which can be predicted but not concluded. Often an emotion or a sudden accident may change everything and make policies impossible to maintain. The world is unpredictable." Wang Zimei shook her head slowly.

"Just because I think so doesn't mean that other people in the military, the court, and so on also think so."

"Since the difficult times, Heshuo has repeatedly suppressed rebellions and the emperors have praised us highly, but don't we know this ourselves?"

“Save the building from collapse, but don’t ask why it is collapsing.”

"Our ancestors brought great disaster to the country and opened the door to disaster. Our descendants rebelled against the central government, split the territory, and established a country within a country in Sheng Tang."

"We are doing the ugly thing of reversing the patriarchal system and Confucian classics, but we are looking for all kinds of reasons to comfort and defend ourselves. We cry in front of the temple, regard ourselves as loyal ministers, and dream of assisting the emperor. We even stand on Tianjin Bridge in neat clothes, waiting to offer sacrifices to God, Gaozu, and the Great Saint of Civil and Military Affairs... This is called Cui Zhu killing his master!"

"This is what I fear." Wang Zimei narrated calmly, his thick beard trembling slightly on his handsome face: "So, even if we are comrades and have the same interests, the future is still uncertain."

Xiao Xiu was stunned.

The two of them looked out at the Luo River for a long while, until the sound of the bell from Yingtian Gate came. Wang Zimei forgot about honor and disgrace, and sang while knocking on the railing: "The moon sets, crows cry, and frost fills the sky. The maples on the river bank and the fishing fires face my sad sleep. The bell of Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City reaches the passenger ship at midnight." When he finished, he patted Xiao Xiu on the shoulder and said, "Let's go. The bell has rung, and the emperor will soon arrive. I am also very curious about the true appearance of the saint."

"Zimei, you have something." Xiao Xiu was extremely impressed by these words.

"You just found out about this?" Wang Zimei glanced at him and rolled her eyes: "We are both Du Yu Hou and Ya Jiang. Why should I be in charge of you?"

……

At the gate of Yingtian, Chen Kang, Wang Chuzhi, Wu Yiji, Yuan Heng, Tuoba Yichang, Gaozong Yi, Geshu Jin, Qi Yanshu, Yang Shouxin and other representatives of the Jingnan princes had been waiting for a long time. Hundreds of officials and some officers of the three yamen imperial guards were led to the gate. Five thousand armored warriors drawn from various vassal armies and imperial guards stood in the square with spears in their hands. The blazing torches illuminated everyone's faces, making them look red and murderous.

The saint appeared on the high Yingtian Gate, surrounded by his confidants such as the Prime Minister, Zheng Yanchang, Su Rong, the Concubine Shu, the Concubine Xian, the Envoy of Xuanhui, the Privy Envoy, the Ten Generals, and a large number of guards, generals of the Household, female concubines, and eunuchs, overlooking everything downstairs.

No one dared to pay homage without orders.

In the silence, only a fire was seen in the corridor, and a large group of warriors carried out a foul-smelling rotten corpse and placed it outside the Yingtian Gate.

It’s obvious who the corpse is!
Everyone's attention was drawn away, and a strong cold and numb feeling rising from the tail vertebrae rushed to many people's heads.

Someone immediately covered his mouth and whispered: "Zhu Quanzhong..."

　The most important affairs of a country are sacrifice and war. Many people know this. In these chapters, I will write about the details of the great sacrifices in the Tang Dynasty. Don't say I am being pedantic. History does not contain any content about sacrifices, and sacrifices, which come before war, are glossed over. I personally think this is inappropriate.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)