The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 362 Summoning the Reign Title and Marriage
"In the past, during the An Lushan Rebellion and in this dynasty, Huang Chao, the Holy Dynasty pardoned almost all the accomplices and even preserved their official titles. This was because the national strength did not support the suppression, and it was also because the Holy Dynasty wanted to teach the world with benevolence. But history has always proven that the Holy Emperors were raising a tiger to cause trouble. They simply left the battles of their fathers to their sons to fight and left the present problems to the future. This shows that they believed in the wisdom of future generations."

"Using bronze as a mirror, one can straighten one's clothes. Using history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of dynasties. If tolerance does not bring equal returns, why do it?"

“Scholars like Zhang Xun, Yan Jieqing, Cui Anqian, and Zheng Tian were excluded during prosperous times, serving as insignificant minor officials. When the world fell into chaos, they were either abandoned in isolated cities or left to face danger alone. Why are loyal and virtuous people always so unfortunate, while wicked people always enjoy benevolent governance and await reform? Is it because the Holy Tang Dynasty treats the loyal and righteous with indifference and the wicked with great favor?”

"We must warn future generations not to repeat the mistakes of the two thieves."

How to deal with the remaining rebel forces is the first issue.

The meaning of these voices is quite clear: the national policy must be corrected, and appeasement should no longer be pursued as it was after the An Lushan and Huang Chao rebellions.

"If people like Ge Congzhou and Yuan Xiangxian can still be exonerated, then the agreement we made when discussing the temple—to punish the wicked and promote the good, to praise the loyal and condemn the treacherous, and to set things right—will become a joke."

"They were different from Wang Yanzhang, Ding Hui, and others; even when the royal army besieged Bianliang, they had not yet defected."

"Repay kindness with kindness, and repay injustice with justice. Be as ruthless as winter to such people."

"Issue an edict appointing the military governors of Yan, Yun, Xu, and Cai, along with their prefectural officials, and summon them to an audience. If they come, they may live. If they do not come, an immediate attack will be launched."

The sage agrees with this prudent view.

"As for Zhu Wen's family, I heard that his mother and brother are still farming in Dangshan. They must be caught and executed in Bianliang immediately," someone added.

"Is this excessive?" the sage asked.

Zhu Wen's elder brother, Zhu Quanyu, was the one who, after Zhu Wen usurped the throne, vehemently denounced Zhu Wen as inhuman at a banquet. At this time, he was still farming in his hometown. He had not participated in the entire event and held an opposing view.

To be honest, the sage didn't want to kill him.

“I believe a sentence can be imposed, and then a pardon can be granted in my name, to demonstrate the holy virtue of the Holy Dynasty,” the sage proposed.

However, this was met with opposition from many ministers.

"The traitor Zhu betrayed his sovereign, and the law cannot pardon him."

Okay, the Zhu family must be eradicated.

The only difference is how one dies—whether it's a brutal execution or a humane death.

Word by word, sentence by sentence, the arrangements for Zhu Wen's death were quickly finalized.

One dead man and a group of losers is no big deal.

The second problem facing the emperor and his ministers was the famine, plague, and refugees that were spreading throughout the Central Plains.

The Central Plains that the imperial court took over were in a state of utter devastation. After Zhu Wen's relentless military campaigns, years of the Jingnan Campaign, infighting among various warlords, and natural disasters, the economy of most of the Central Plains had completely collapsed, and many places had long since descended into cannibalism.

If this weren't an era ruled by military men, peasant uprisings would have already broken out.

This isn't a conflict between people and land distribution that can be resolved by killing the rich and powerful; it's the purest form of violence, where the common people are reduced to poverty and people are forced to work themselves to death.

Without solving this problem, there's no way to establish a foothold in the Central Plains.

"The heart that loves the people is the foundation of the nation's destiny. Now that the Central Plains have been recovered, they are all my subjects. Moreover, in the future, when we are to govern the world, we will need the manpower and strength of Henan. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and gather the strength of Guanzhong to aid the Central Plains, so that the Central Plains may be well-fed and clothed." Han Yi, the Commandant of the Capital Region, said solemnly.

He was interrupted as soon as he finished speaking: "After years of war, Guanzhong was already exhausted. Since the Emperor ascended the throne, there has been some recovery. But with the burdens of supporting the army, officials, and the imperial family, the people of Guanzhong can barely feed themselves. How can they have the spare strength to support the Central Plains?"

This is something that cannot be accomplished by relying solely on the national treasury.

The food, clothing, and daily necessities for hundreds of thousands of people are an astronomical figure without even needing to be calculated.

After so many years of war, the imperial treasury could barely keep going, and they still had to extract money and grain from the people.

But is it worth risking the Guanzhong Plain falling into turmoil just to quell the chaos in the Central Plains?
This concern seems to be a death sentence.

"Does the imperial court intend to stand by and watch millions of common people die?" Han Yi questioned.

“No.” Li Yan raised his tablet and suggested, “In the past, when the feudal lords recovered Chang’an, the capital was in ruins and the court was in dire straits. So the feudal lords jointly contributed money to help repair the palace, support the army, and provide funds for spring plowing, etc., to relieve the national crisis. Now that Dongjing is in ruins, perhaps we can once again ask the feudal lords to jointly help repair Dongjing? Then we can use the money from rebuilding Luoyang to provide relief to the Central Plains.”

"The states of Zhao, Wei, Qi, Jing, Xiang, Wu, and E are all prosperous and can provide assistance."

The princes help each other.

The courtiers fell silent.

In the past, after the feudal lords welcomed the sage back to Chang'an, Chengde presented armor, oxen, warhorses, and female officials to help the court reorganize the Shence Army, relieve the people, and restore the harem.

Wu and Yue presented tea and silk as gifts.

Grain was offered in the river.

……

Although they all had their own agendas, they seemed to be a group of loyal subjects.

But do the feudal lords still have this awareness now?
wrong.

Whether they still harbored some affection for the Tang Dynasty or had ulterior motives, it doesn't matter.

But now, even the disloyal should become loyal.

feasible!

"Let's leave it at that for now," the sage said.

We still need to discuss further how to communicate with these towns.

"Regarding the matter of relief—" The sage looked around and his gaze settled on the Grand Minister of Agriculture: "Li Qun, you take charge of it. First, draft a plan."

At this moment, Han Wo reported: "Great Sage, we have decided to hold a grand sacrifice to the Heavenly Emperor after the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth month, and summon all the military governors of the realm to come to court for an audience."

"The governors of the realm?" The sage frowned.

A compliance test? We could do that. But some people definitely wouldn't come.

For example, Yang Xingmi.

If he doesn't come, then the Ningguo Army, the Zhongguo Army, and the various towns in Jiangnan, such as Liangzhe, will most likely not come either; they'll just send an envoy and that's it.

Hebei also did not have the custom of the military governor himself coming to the capital for an audience.

This doesn't mean that the effort was wasted and that you made a fool of yourself.

From Shanzhou in the west to Yuncheng in the east, from the Yangtze River in the south to Weibo in the north. Let's conquer the Central Plains first.

Taking Ah Zhao to climb Mount Tai is not something Ah Zhao Yaxian wouldn't dare to dream of.

"With the situation at our doorstep still unsettled, the priority is to subdue Ge and Yuan and stabilize the Xuanwu Army."

The ministers exchanged glances, knowing that once the emperor made a statement, it was a decision, and then moved on to the next matter.

"Now that the Great Sage has eliminated the eunuchs, pacified Guanzhong, and taken over Guanxi, achieving the feat of rebuilding the Central Plains," Han Wo advised again. "We believe that the reign title should be changed to celebrate this achievement."

Another era name change? Didn't Guanghua only last for a year?

This suggestion displeased the emperor, who felt it was too frequent and would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. However, at that time, changing reign titles was commonplace. People could express all sorts of wishes and preferences through reign titles.

The practice of alternating dynasties and calendars only began in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Since the ministers have this desire, let's grant it.

"Change what?"

"This is the list of reign titles drafted by the authorities. Please take a look, Your Majesty," Han Wo said, handing over the document.

In fact, they had already discussed this matter before entering Bianliang, but since they were still fighting at the time, they didn't mention it.

The attendant presented it.

"Revitalize the nation..." the sage murmured as he reviewed the document.

"Yes," Han Wo replied, "It precisely reflects our ambition to strive for excellence and make the Holy Tang Dynasty great again!"

“That works too.” The sage nodded, then asked, “What do you mean by Tianfu, Tianyou, and Yuandao?”

The relevant officials explained in detail.

The sage and his officials exchanged glances, conveying their opinions. Finally, the sage clapped his hands and laughed, "This is truly delightful!"

I'm so happy to have a new era name. "Let's go with Tianfu." The sage was most satisfied with this era name. Perhaps it was because the Tianfu he envisioned for later generations had not been realized, which is why he himself came into being: "Once New Year's Day is over, I will announce it to the world."

The officials were greatly encouraged.

The affairs of the world are settled.

As long as the emperor and his ministers work together with one heart and make good use of their abilities, the power of the Tang Dynasty will continue to grow stronger!
"The rewards for those who have rendered meritorious service in the central and foreign courts and local areas cannot be delayed." The emperor concluded, "Please submit the reports for review in the next two days."

"Your subject respectfully obeys."

After the meeting, the sage went straight to the Jade Rabbit Palace.

Because, just two days ago, Consort Shu gave birth to another son for him.

Whenever he has free time, he wants to come and visit.

We haven't chosen a name yet. We'll wait until after the 100-day mark to make sure the baby won't die anytime soon before choosing one.

"How is your stay in the Jade Rabbit Palace?" Upon entering the bedroom, the Emperor sat down by the bed and looked at Consort Shu, who was lying quietly there recuperating, and asked softly.

"It's alright, but it's not as good as Jiade Palace," Consort Shu said melancholically.

"Haha, aren't they all the same?"

"How are they the same?" Consort Shu asked with a mournful look in her eyes.

After some deliberation, the allocation of residences in Bianliang Palace was decided. Zhu Wen gave Zhang Hui the most magnificent and imposing Jiade Hall in the inner palace, while the Emperor gave it to A Zhao.

Although he felt he loved all the women and didn't love any of them, when it came to such benefits, Xiao Zhao was always the first person he thought of.

Ah Zhao has followed me for so many years, working hard without complaint, content with his lot and not competitive, managing the family well, and has a good reputation in the court.

Most importantly, Zhao Ruxin was the only one in whom he felt no other feelings, only pure loyalty and love.

Besides being husband and wife, ruler and subject, the two were also like friends.

If circumstances hadn't prevented it, he would have considered making A-Zhao empress many times. Fortunately, he couldn't give her an empress, but he could give her the Jiade Hall, a symbol of the empress's status—thankfully, it was a pseudo-Liang dynasty, a symbol that couldn't be officially recognized.

"I'll fix you up properly later," the sage said, offering a few words of comfort.

"All you do is draw pictures of cakes to satisfy your hunger." Consort Shu rolled her eyes at him, feeling a little uncomfortable, and poked his chest: "In your heart, A-Zhao is more important than me."

"How could that be?" The Emperor was in a good mood today, and as he talked, he began to chat with Consort Shu, and naturally the conversation turned to the King of Wu.

Consort Shu pulled him into her arms and said softly, "How have you thought about your son's marriage? I think it's a matter of parental wishes, and I, a woman, can't make the decision on my own. I don't know much about the outside world."

"I heard that when he marched into Bianliang, he picked up a woman named Song Fujin, who was about his age." The Emperor laughed and said, "Why don't we let him take her as a concubine first? Maybe we've already slept together?"

"Pah! Pah! Pah!" Consort Shu stammered, embarrassed, "You think you're the eldest son?!"

“You don’t understand. A man of Dalang’s age is at the age when his passions are burning and he can act spontaneously at any time.”

This matter has been discussed before, and it even made Consort Shu cry once. There really isn't a suitable candidate. Those who want to choose a high-ranking official are afraid that this young man will become too powerful, and also afraid that if he doesn't rise to the throne in the future, he will implicate others.

Choosing anyone is no different from marrying Song Fujin.

"That's a refugee woman." Consort Shu pinched him and said angrily, "Putting everything else aside, aren't you afraid of disgracing the Li family?"

"What's so shameful about it? There are scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Many women from farming and merchant families have married into the Li family."

"In that case, let the Imperial Clan Court select a suitable woman from the common people for him first." The Emperor pondered for a long time: "If she doesn't fit the bill, we can find another match later. Pingyuan is also of marriageable age, so I've already found him a husband."

"Who was it? When did this happen? You've never mentioned it before."

"It is Consort Liang's younger brother, Liang Zichu. He is two years old and has just entered the Chengde Army Prefecture, where he works as an officer in the cavalry. He knew that Consort Liang had a younger brother before, and he mentioned it to her when they were on the western expedition in Jincheng."

"Consort Liang's younger brother?" Consort Shu was delighted and gave him a big kiss: "Not bad, what do you think of him?"

"I heard from Consort Liang that he is a handsome and talented man, skilled in both literature and martial arts. He will be coming to Bian in a few days. When he arrives, you can take a look at him. If there's nothing else, then you can make a decision."

"It depends on what his elders in the family think," Consort Shu said worriedly.

"She asked around, and her family thought they were a good match. However, you'll have to get your daughter to stop swearing."

"My daughter Pingyuan is a refined lady; she doesn't swear unless she can't help it," Consort Shu pouted, pretending to be eloquent.

"Alright, if there are no problems, let's settle the marriage of our two children."

"Alright!" Consort Shu readily agreed, then asked happily, "What do you think of Eldest Brother's performance? Where should we rank him in terms of merit this time?"

"how do you feel?"

Consort Shu said, "That good-for-nothing has actually made progress now, which makes me happy."

The sage smiled slightly without realizing it.

"I might be being a bit nosy, but I absolutely didn't mean to interfere in politics." Consort Shu scratched his face and smiled, "I just wanted to ask, what are your plans for the eldest son in the future?"

"With the death of Minister Liu, the position of Hunan Inspector is vacant. There is currently no one to take over the task of suppressing the rebellion in Hunan, so we are thinking of sending him to Hunan to take charge."

"That place?" Consort Shu exclaimed in surprise, "Although I am not learned, I know that it is an ancient place of exile, a barbaric wilderness beyond the borders. No! It's too far and too dangerous."

"We'll see." The sage fed her a piece of dried fruit. "Everything is in need of rebuilding, and there are still many places where we need people. It's hard to say."

Consort Shu chewed on some fruit, buried her face in the Emperor's shoulder, and whispered, "I'll follow your orders tonight."

"It's broad daylight, so be careful."

"You've tried everything with him, what else is there to accept?" Consort Shu raised an eyebrow, then sighed and said softly, "Last time we met, Da Lang told me that he felt a lot of pressure and was very depressed. I could tell from his spirit that he was also... You should be more patient with him and give him more encouragement."

"This is normal, don't try to protect it," the sage said calmly.

This is not a prejudice against the King of Wu.

The son who has no intention of taking the position is another matter, but those who aspire to compete in the Xuanwu Gate Tournament still need to gain more experience on their own.

Growing up under the protection of one's father and elders, and receiving constant encouragement and guidance, is not necessarily a good thing for a prince. Once the shelter from the wind and rain is gone, he will have to bear everything on his own; as difficulties come one after another, a person who has not been tempered enough will become restless and gradually show signs of decadence.

It is only right that the King of Wu be put to the test now. If he cannot withstand these pressures, how will he fight against warriors and ministers in the future, and how will he bear the pressure of being an emperor?

The only truly carefree day was yesterday. A true king is always lonely and tormented.

"You should also explain the reasons for this to him."

Consort Shu said, "Yes, the emperor bears the immense responsibility of governing the country; he cannot only consider his own feelings." As she spoke, she couldn't help but shed tears again: "That day, when I looked at him closely, I noticed that he already had some white hair..."

The sage embraced her and gently patted her back: "I understand the feelings of a loving mother who weaves the thread for her wandering son. How is Lychee doing lately? I haven't seen her since I left Chang'an for the campaign, until you arrived in Bianliang."

Consort Shu glared at him, annoyed: "You always talk the talk, but apart from Azhi and Li Guanyin, you never actually look at the children more than a few times."

"Don't wrong me."

Consort Shu said a few more words, but then she heard loud snoring coming from above her.

…………

The sun was blazing, and the roadside weeds drooped their leaves.

Suddenly a group of messengers kicked up clouds of dust, waving their command flags.

"Great news! Great news! The rebel Zhu Wen has been completely annihilated, and the imperial army has entered Bianliang! The imperial court has entered Bianliang!"

The sounds of victory echoed and burst forth again and again along the main road leading to Qilu.

The soldier on the city wall leaned out upon hearing the sound: "Is Zhu Dalang dead?"

"A great victory! A great victory in Bianliang! The imperial army has recaptured Xuanwu Army..."

Yu Yin was left far behind by the warhorse, with only plumes of smoke proving that a messenger had just passed by.

News of Zhu Dalang's defeat and death, and the imperial court's move to Bianliang, spread throughout the land at lightning speed.

In Jinyang, Li Keyong and his family are vacationing in Longshan.

Upon hearing this devastating news at the Taoist temple, his prostrate body froze.

(End of this chapter)