The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 79 Trouble

"People say that I am the supreme being in the universe and I have nothing to fear. This is wrong. I fear the wrath of Heaven above and the discussions of my ministers below. I enlighten myself day and night, but I am still afraid that I am not in line with the gods and am not respected by people." In the small courtyard, Mr. Li sat lazily under the ginkgo tree and listened to the imperial lecture again.

The sage liked to listen to the attendant official's summary of the rise and fall of the Han, Wei and Jin dynasties the most, and he had to listen to it from Han Yu, a Hanlin scholar.

"Jie, Emperor Xin, Jiang Xiaobai, Qin II, Liu Hong, Song Chuanfei, Liang Wu, Zhou Xuan, Xuanxi Ersheng... all of them were lawless kings. If Your Majesty were like this, would you be trembling with fear? How could there be Cheng Tang and Ding, or Shu Diao who caused chaos in Qi? When you are at home, you have no law and you offend your people; when you are abroad, you have no enemies and you cause trouble for the country. The heart of the emperor is becoming more and more arrogant, and there is no reason for the country to not perish. So you died at the hands of others, which is the will of heaven."

Han Wei concluded his speech by criticizing these people mercilessly, and warned in a deep voice: "In politics, those in power should be mindful of discipline. As the saying goes, everything has a beginning, but few can have an end. If Your Majesty is as careful to the end as at the beginning, then you will be the best."

"Misfortunes often accumulate from small things, and wisdom and courage are often trapped by what one is drowning in." The sage sighed. People cannot be carefree, and the emperor must remind himself at all times. This is probably why censors are set up.

"I speak frankly of the merits and demerits of the emperors of our dynasty. Please punish me."

"It is a crime for a scholar not to speak." If a minister is willing to speak his mind to you, you should cherish him. Like Emperor Xuanzong, if someone gave you advice, he would kill him - it caused the six armies to stop their horses on this day, and the ministers did not want to associate with you anymore. Who can you blame?

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

In a corner, a sleepy historian slowly wrote down the emperor's thoughts on a bamboo slip: "The emperor was reading in Tongyue Pavilion, and he talked about the gains and losses of the past dynasties and gave advice. After the lecture, the emperor said to him: Disasters often accumulate from small things, and wisdom and courage are often trapped by what one is addicted to."

The saint choked.

These historians didn't need to be called at all. They followed the emperor wherever he went, which made him very restrained, for fear of saying something wrong and becoming a laughing stock. Later, Liu Jishu rebelled, imprisoned the emperor, and killed people in the palace for fun. These historians went to work as usual, but Liu Jishu didn't dare to kill them. He only secretly transported the bodies out after the historians left - this group of historians is quite interesting.

"You may leave for the time being." After finishing the study, the sage wanted to talk about sensitive political affairs, so he said to the two historians.

"A king is impartial and selfless, why would he avoid the scene?" The old man in green stood still as a mountain and quickly rejected the saint.

The emperor had no choice but to take Han Wei back to the study in Penglai Palace.

"Now that Ximen Chongsui has passed away, what should the remaining eunuchs do?"

As soon as he sat down, the sage spoke his mind. He wanted to ask Han Wei for his opinion: "I want to quickly march to Tongzhou to quell the rebellion, but I am also worried that the eunuchs will establish another emperor and reject me in the wilderness. If that happens, my status will be taken away and I will not be able to enter the capital. How can I command the princes and control the warriors?"

"Although the possibility is very small, we should be prepared for the worst." The saint leaned forward and stared at Han Wei: "I am willing to eliminate all the eunuchs! But I will leave a few hundred eunuchs to clean up. If killing is not feasible, draw up a foolproof plan for me."

Han Wei was startled, and after a long while he considered his answer, "The cause of the turmoil is that the eunuchs are in charge of the army. But since the execution of Han Quanhui, the internal affairs have been handled by the female emperor, and the military power has been given to the two guards. Every time the eunuchs get together, they cry and their cries can be heard outside. If they are all killed, it would be too much! Moreover, considering the strength of Zhuye and Zhao's relatives, the fickleness of the warriors, and the treacherousness of the court officials, we cannot do without them all. Moreover, the way of the emperor is to rule with justice and to control with balance. Select the good ones and use them, and punish the guilty. How can we kill them all?"

"I am asking about Ximen Qi and others, each of whom has an army of tens of thousands." The saint reminded.

"I lost my composure." Han Wei realized that he was too concerned and had diverted the topic. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, "Your Majesty is concerned about the dangers in your armpits and elbows, and it is very good to prevent fires before they start. Ximen Qi and others can be sent out as military supervisors, or demoted to guard the tombs. If neither of them works, they will be killed again."

The saint fell into deep thought - although Ximen Qi and his men would not rebel, he could not count on their loyalty. When he led his troops away, there would be an opportunity before him, and who knew if anyone would take the risk - the eunuchs' brains could not be said to be sick, but most of them had serious mental problems, and the possibility of their resurgence must be eradicated. If they could not find an opportunity, they would basically stay calm.

"Instructor Wang Congxun of the Infantry Department has been ordered to see the emperor." Privy Councilor Zhao Rushin pushed open the door, walked in like a ghost, and reported.

"Bang." The saint stood up and strode out of the study.

"I pay my respects to you—"

"No thanks!" The saint knelt on the throne, pointed at the cushion and asked him to sit down, saying: "Follow your instructions, I will not go east to fight against the rebellion, and I will leave you 5,000 elite soldiers to guard Chang'an. On weekdays, you can stay in the palace. If there are eunuchs coming in and out, search them and the documents they carry."

"I obey your order." Wang Congxun did not ask any more questions.

"And..." The saint thought for a moment, and then said in a serious tone: "Before I come back, anyone who invites you to a banquet at my mansion or summons you to the palace alone, whether they are officials from the south or the north, is a thief who wants to take the opportunity to harm you. Kill them immediately. Second, no matter where you go during this period, you must bring the army with you. It is best to stay in the barracks to prevent thieves from forging imperial edicts to enter the barracks and seize the military power."

"I understand the pros and cons of this."

The saint was worried, so he patted his shoulder and said, "Repeat it for me."

"Don't meet anyone alone, don't leave the barracks day or night, and fight if anyone plots a rebellion." Wang Congxun said without hesitation, "I have personally experienced more than a hundred mutinies. If I didn't understand, how could I live to this day? Your Majesty, go with peace of mind. I will take care of Chang'an, and there will be no trouble."

"Treat it as if it will come, and don't neglect it." The sage sighed, annoyed. If you don't go out to lead the troops, the prestige will gradually accumulate on the generals, and the probability of generals rebelling is infinite. If you go out, the risk of something happening at home is very high - there are too many ambitious people, and they will use any means possible.

Zhu Jin, the younger brother of Yunzhen Jiedushi Zhu Xuan, proposed to marry the daughter of Yanhai Jiedushi Qi Kerang. At the wedding, he suddenly attacked Qi Kerang's father-in-law and chopped off his head with a knife. He then grabbed his stunned new wife and killed her, and took the opportunity to control Yanhai.

Before going to war, Youzhou Jiedushi Li Kuangwei had dinner with his family. After drinking, he raped his brother Li Kuangchou's beautiful wife Zhang. Zhang screamed until late at night, and Li Kuangchou stood outside the door, turned around and raped and killed his sister-in-law, and killed Li Kuangwei's entire family to rebel.

The world is so chaotic that Li Ye had to speculate Ximen Qi and his people with the greatest malice. If he was not given a chance, he might still be a loyal minister. As for the four royal family members who served under the old pig herder, Li Sizhou, Li Yanzhen, Li Junshi, and Li Yun, he planned to take them with him.

"I'm leaving now. I'll go back and get all the weapons, food and fodder I need." Wang Congxun left.

Now, Ximen Qi and the others shouldn't cause trouble.

——Is that all? Zhao took a look, hesitated for a moment, and leaned close to the saint's ear, whispering: "The late emperor's illness is getting worse, and all the ministers are interested in Prince Ji. The Grand Commandant even said that there is a wise king. Thanks to Yang Fugong's support, we were able to inherit the throne. How dare we neglect it?"

Nangong Chongyan stared at the floor, her red lips parted, and she gritted her teeth and said, "We should stay away now. It's better to kill Prince Ji! Move the remaining princes to the Ye Ting Bureau for temporary residence, and let us take care of them." "No." The saint waved his hand and said without question, "Just move him to the Ye Ting Bureau and return him to the Sixteen Princes' House when I come back."

He was not like Taizong, Xuanzong, Suzong, Daizong, Wuzong, or other orthodox Li family men who killed their brothers and sons without blinking an eye. Taizong killed his two brothers and ten nephews in one day: Anlu Wang Chengdao, Hedong Wang Chengde, Wuan Wang Chengxun, Runan Wang Chengming, Julu Wang Chengyi, Liangjun Wang Chengye, Yuyang Wang Chengluan, Pu'an Wang Chengjiang, Jiangxia Wang Chengyu, and Yiyang Wang Chengdu. They were all slaughtered regardless of age.

Xuanzong slaughtered his three sons in one day.

Suzong killed his son, Prince Jianning Li Tan, and destroyed Li Lin.

The first decree issued by Emperor Wuzong after he came to power was to kill Prince Chen Li Chengmei, Prince An Li Rong, Concubine Yang, etc.

If Li Mi had not guaranteed Shunzong with the nine clans, he would have been killed by Dezong.

There are too many to list. The emperor of the Li family was like a demon, and he would not be happy unless he killed a few of his brothers and sons. Although it was a power struggle, it was so cruel and bad that it was extremely explosive in the entire history of human civilization. The rule of filial piety in the Tang Dynasty was as ridiculous as the existence of the Jin Dynasty. Li Ye decided not to kill his brother Li Bao to try to correct this ugly trend of disregarding human ethics.

There are many ways to reconcile power struggles.

Brothers of the royal family who have the same mother are killing each other's families. How can the royal family have the face to teach the common people loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness?

On June 20, the military inspector of the 10th Army and 12th Guard, Ximen Chongsui, was buried. The emperor released Fu Zuji and went to the Mingde Gate Tower to see him off. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the soul flags fluttered. There were many people attending the funeral, including the old man's disciples, staff, generals, officers, and female relatives, about 500 to 600 people.

The disciples cried loudly along the way.

Ximen Yuanyuan, Li Yun, and Li Junshi personally carried the coffin, while young men sent by the Ministry of Rites held musical instruments and played along the way.

"I often feast in Qujiang, but today I return to the mountains and forests. I stay in the center to maintain peace and prosperity, I respect my king and my parents, and my benevolence spreads to the scholars and common people..." 2100 soldiers of the Shangchen Army loudly sang "Elegy for Ximen, the Military Supervisor of the Ten Armies and Twelve Guards" written by Privy Councilor Zhao Ruxin, and escorted their beloved father of the Ten Armies to be buried on the south bank of Fengshui.

As soon as Zhao's Shinto poem was published, many officials and civilians laughed secretly. But at this moment, the 2100 warriors of the Shangchen Army all wore white ribbons around their waists and sang the elegy in unison, which was very rare. It was worth it for the old man to lead them for so many years.

The last eunuch who was deeply supported by the warriors was Yang Fuguang. When he died, the entire army of Hezhong Town mourned and there was constant crying in the army.

Li Sizhou and Li Yanzhen did not leave the city to attend the funeral. According to the old man's last wish, they brought their trusted generals to Mingde Gate and stood in the large group of officers behind the saint. Since the old thief died, they have been under the saint's command since then.

"We were both human yesterday and today we are in the register of ghosts. Where shall our spirits go? Our withered bodies rest in the empty trees... There will be no dawn for a thousand years, and the wise men can do nothing about it. Those who have seen me off have each returned to their families. Relatives may still be mourning, but others are already singing. There is nothing to say about death, our bodies shall be buried in the mountains..." The funeral procession gradually disappeared from sight, and the saint softly recited Tao Yuanming's elegy.

Goodbye, old swineherd.

On June 12000, the sage, who finally put his mind at ease, led more than 4000 cavalry guards and 700 infantry out of Hongmengou. Zhao Fu, Dou Biao, and Bai Zhiqian followed with 6000 cavalry soldiers from Tianshui. Li Sizhou's 2100 Yaowu troops and Li Yanzhen's Shangchen troops were also there. Including cooks, grooms, medical officers, civilians and other logistics personnel, the entire army totaled more than people, claiming to be .

Zhao Fu and others were observing the team on the hillside.

"Valiant and heroic, good riding skills." Zhao Fu commented. That day in the Mingtang, he didn't see the emperor's true face through the curtain, and now he saw it, and he was a little surprised - his brother-in-law was not a weakling who couldn't even tie a chicken, which was good.

"The generals and officers are all in good shape, the infantry and cavalry are in good order, there is little noise among the soldiers, and the morale is high." Dou Biao had heard of the "reputation" of the Shence Army and thought he was going to fight with a group of scum, but now it seems that he worried too much.

"There are so many imperial cavalrymen." Zhao Jia sighed and asked Zhao Fu with a smile, "Brother, do you know why my troops are in the rear army?"

"Stop talking, let's go." Zhao Fu avoided answering and rode down the hill. He knew the reason very well - he had hurried to the court after his sister became pregnant, so the impression he left on the saint was naturally a little worse, and of course he would not trust him.

On the 22nd, after resting for a night in Huayin, the army marched towards Changchun Palace, 20 miles north of Chaoyi.

As for Dali City, Helian Weihuan, Kang Lingzhong, and Ma Quanzheng, who had set out a few days ago, joined forces with Xie Jun who had surrendered and fought a battle with the rebels at Luoshui, winning a small victory. The rebels suffered a loss, and their confidence was not as high as at the beginning, so they hid back in the city.

The saint does not intend to attack by force.

First, his troops were mainly cavalry, which was not suitable for attacking cities. Second, if they wanted to attack cities, the soldiers would think of capturing civilians to fill the trenches. Once the commotion started, the army would clamor continuously, and who could stop it, and who dared to stop it?

Persuade? Persuade what?
This is the world of warriors. Once emotions are aroused or the warriors are determined to do something, any word spoken by the warriors is the law. In their view, the nobles are to be killed, the beauties are to be taken turns to have sex, and the peasants are born to fill the trenches and block the arrows - I capture the untouchables to help the saints fight, and the saints are not happy?
The more than 20,000 soldiers under his command were well rewarded, the military law was strict, the emperor's prestige was beginning to take shape, and several rounds of military reforms broke up many small groups, which barely curbed the trend. Unless he could conquer the city at a very low cost, he would not attack the city. Now, and in the future.

Learn to be content.

During the three expeditions, he did not rebel like other Jiedushi did as soon as the army left the city. This was already a blessing from heaven. If he had expected too much, I was afraid that God would not agree.

In this era, if you are not sure, don't attack the city - Zhu Wen didn't dare to do that either. Later, when the Bian people besieged Taiyuan, it rained continuously, and many Bian soldiers caught a cold and cursed the bad weather. When Zhu Wen received the news, he immediately sent a message on horseback, asking them to stop fighting.

Therefore, the saint decided to go to Changchun Palace first.

Firstly, it is not a fortified city, and secondly, there are few disorderly soldiers, so it is easy to attack, which is just right for sharpening morale - every victory, no matter how valuable, is prestige. Big victories and small victories, accumulated over and over again, won't this prestige rise?

Of course, it is one thing to win more than 100 times and have unshakable influence in the army. But the question is, can this kind of atmosphere produce a general who can fight hundreds of battles? Zhu Wen is one of them, but he also made a lot of mistakes. When attacking Yun last year, the warriors saw that something was wrong and simply left him behind and ran away. If it weren't for Ge Congzhou and his people who risked their lives to save him, the Prince of Bian would have died long ago.

Finally, Changchun Palace, a palace with a long history, is home to many concubines. After the death of the previous emperor, his concubines were basically settled here. Zheng Zhaoyi and Meng Cairen were also abducted here. Taking this place first has greater political significance.

(End of this chapter)