The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 83 Eunuchs are not allowed to interfere in government affairs
On the first day of July, Xuanzheng Hall. After several restorations, the second largest hall of the Tang Palace, which had been through many hardships, has regained its new life. Today, guards of honor line up on both sides of the imperial road, bells and chimes ring in the corridors, and melodious music plays. Inside the palace, sandalwood and cypress branches are burning in the tortoise-crane incense burners, slowly emitting smoke, and the lingering white mist makes Xuanzheng Hall seem like a fairyland.

The Nine Ministers included the Shangshu Zuo Cheng, Sanqi Changshi, Fensi Langzhong, Jianyi Dafu, Zuoyou Shiyi, Buque, Jishizhong, Zhongshu Sheren Shangguanyang and other chief and deputy officials of the three provinces.

Xu Yanruo and others were officials of the fourth rank or above in the Censorate.

The envoys of the Northern Departments such as the Privy Council, Xuanhui Council, and Feilong Council. The important officials of the Hanlin Academy, Jixian Academy, National History Academy, and Imperial College.

Officials from the six ministries, generals from the imperial guards, cavalry and infantry, and the sons of the royal family and relatives were all present. Except for the day when Wende ascended the throne, this was the second time that the Daming Palace was so grand.

The emperor, wearing a red and black crown, sat high behind a pearl curtain with a peaceful expression.

Ximen Qi was holding a thick imperial edict, and his powerful voice echoed in the hall, but his expression was very stiff, which seemed incongruous.

"The king's rule is to have ministers at home and governors abroad, and not to allow the rest of the people to participate in politics. Moreover, these family officials are slaves compared to human officials. The rise of eunuchs began in the Qin and Han dynasties. Zhao Gao and Yan Le destroyed the Ying Temple. Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong overthrew Liu Zuo. After Tianbao, their power was revived. They controlled the tiger guards, held the wealth, and attended Yanying. Wherever they said a word, the warriors waved their swords and pointed at them, and blood flowed on the court and the country. They specialize in power and punishment, and cannot be replicated. The rise and fall of a country all belong to this kind. The left and right are united, and the upper and lower are of one mind, and they work together to be rampant."

"He overturned politics on a large scale and fanned the flames of war on a small scale. Famous cities and towns were reduced to ashes. Corpses were laid out in the palaces of the Great Ming. The East and West Markets were emptied. He killed innocent ministers and exterminated the princes' families. His carriages were often covered in dust, and the king's career was repeatedly humiliated. He was so tyrannical and evil! If he indulged his ambitions, the whole country would suffer. If he realized his mistakes, his fortune would be prolonged."

"After the order was issued, all the officials in charge of the internal affairs of the temples were dismissed. Only three sons could be raised, and they were not allowed to buy houses or wear red and purple clothes. All the people living outside the temples were sent to the palace. Their land and property were returned to the common people. The wealth seized was compensated to the merchants. All the people who were harmed were rehabilitated. The five eagle, falcon, kite, hawk, and dog quarters were closed. As for those who have not said enough, all the evil policies of the eunuchs were ordered to be stopped."

"Announce to the world, starting today, eunuchs are not allowed to interfere in government affairs."

After reading it, Ximen Qi handed the imperial edict to the waiter and quietly walked to his seat and sat down. More than a thousand people in the hall burst into cheers and stood up to dance - so happy!
What are the evil policies of the inner court?

If a warrior who had made military achievements did not become their son, he would not be promoted. If you want to be an official, you have to buy it. For hundreds of years, the governors of the eight towns in the northwest of Beijing have been nicknamed "debt commanders". Before taking office, they borrowed money everywhere to bribe eunuchs, and after taking office, they exploited them to get their money back, making the people miserable.

There was no such thing as buying and selling among the eunuchs. They would look around the streets and grab anything they saw. When common people went to the Jingzhao Prefecture to file a complaint, they would rush in and beat them to death in front of the Jingzhao Yin. Any official who dared to speak up for the common people would also be killed.

The bird catchers will hang a net in front of your house and not allow your family to enter or leave. Or they will cover the well mouth and not allow you to draw water. If you dare to complain, they will beat your wife and children half to death. If you have money, they will also plunder all your property. Some people eat and drink for free in the hotel. If the store owner asks for money, they will either beat or scold you, or give you a bag of poisonous snakes and a few dogs. They will ask you to take good care of them and redeem them when you have money. The eunuchs of Feilongyuan let the horses go in the fields, allowing them to trample on the crops and eat the food.

For many years, he treated the people of the country cruelly and governed the country according to his mood, which led to all kinds of lucky villains filling the court and the country. The laws and etiquette were like a piece of paper without any dignity. The emperor's credibility and reputation were completely ruined.

Looking at those excited and angry faces and listening to the thunderous condemnation from the Chinese and foreign officials, Ximen Qi's face was covered with a layer of gloom - the situation is over!
This edict, which would be made public to the military and civilians of the whole country, not only defined the eunuchs - it also sentenced them to political death. At the same time, the officials they had demoted were reinstated, and those they had killed were vindicated. The ministers who had obtained official positions by relying on them and bribing them were dismissed, and the annexed land and property were ordered to be returned - the saint not only gained a huge wave of support, but also cleared a group of dissidents in the court, allowing the world to see his control. When the Jiedushi heard this, they would realize that Chang'an had completely changed.

Moreover, from now on, eunuchs were no longer allowed to live outside the palace, and they were not even allowed to buy houses. They had to return to the Yunting Bureau - in this way, they would not even have a chance to turn things around.

Looking up at the figure behind the throne, Ximen Qi smiled bitterly. The emperor killed people and broke their hearts, and asked him to read the edict in person. This forced choice of sides left him no room for maneuver.

If you want to incite the soldiers to threaten the saint as you did before, you should first step over the corpses of the civil and military officials and relatives who support the saint.

Eunuch, it’s over.

Perhaps he should retreat while the going gets tough and hand over his military power voluntarily, disband the 20,000 troops of the Baoguo, Longhu, and Neizhi armies, or give them to the two guards for reorganization.

----

Immediately afterwards, Privy Councilor Zhao came out and read out the second edict drafted by herself, the main content of which was to hold the imperial examination and congratulate the victory in Tongzhou.

"As a ruler, one must gather the best of the best, protect the country, reconcile the Chinese and foreigners, and govern the people. I believe that wars are still raging, and the Chinese and foreigners are restless. I should follow the ways of the previous kings and use the system of peace. Recruit heroes to strengthen the army and gain capable officials to comfort the people. Therefore, I follow the rules of the previous dynasties and open up various subjects such as loyalty, filial piety, integrity, martial arts, firmness and courage to remonstrate, erudition and eloquence, and acumen and agriculture, so that the pearls will not be lost in the sea and have no way to serve the country. From the first day of July to the first day of the first month of the next year, the test will be held in Linde. The sons of officials in prefectures and cities, young people from the royal family, talented and strong members of the royal family, common people from the noble families, slaves and soldiers, I extend my favor to them with sincerity, and no hero will refuse..."

Now that the imperial court has recovered, the subjects have confidence, and many of them will take the exam. On the one hand, they can continue to expand their power and inject a wave of fresh blood into the decadent imperial court. On the other hand, every time they accept a talent, they will weaken the feudal lords in disguise.

After the edict was issued, the Minister of Rites Du Yanlin stepped forward and made a proposal: "We defeated Qibin before and besieged Tongzhou again. The king's way has spread far and wide. Please offer sacrifices to the gods in the southern suburbs to communicate with the heavens and intimidate the people."

Immediately, another Guanglu Xun said, "The warriors fought bloody battles, so we should comfort them. Let the Minister of the Imperial Household prepare delicious food, let him offer fish and salt, let him provide sake, and let him feast the warriors on the front line to reward them."

Another official suggested: "Please open the treasury, pardon the guilty, and provide relief to the widowed, the orphaned, to show the court's sympathy."

Someone else said, "Send envoys to Lingnan, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuguan, Fujian, Jinghai and other places to report the victory and frighten the rebels..."

It was an auspicious day and all the words were reasonable, so the sage approved them all.

After the matter was done, the saint left the Xuanzheng Hall first.

More than 70% of the officials present did not usually see the emperor. They wanted to say some flattering words to leave some impression on the emperor, but when they saw the saint stand up, they could only bow and watch him leave.

----

Returning to Penglai Palace, the Saint took off his thick robes and put on fresh white gauze. He reclined on the mat and propped up his face with his hands: "Emissary Flying Dragon, you have resentment in your heart and are blaming me."

Opposite the desk, there were several figures kneeling, each with a bottle of cold drink in front of them.

Zhang Chengye was startled when his name was called. He immediately lowered his body and said tremblingly: "Do I have no king and no father?"

He avoided answering the question and only said that he was not a traitor, which was regarded as tacitly acknowledging his slight dissatisfaction with his master.

"I know that you are not a person who has no king or father." The saint flipped through his notes and said, "You have been in the palace for forty years, working hard without complaint, and being loyal to the court. I do not distinguish between good and bad, and I have dismissed all eunuchs. It is reasonable for you to blame me."

Zhang Chengye was speechless. He was even ready to commit suicide when he got home, but he heard the sage sighing softly: "Ximen Jixuan, Yang Fuguang, Ximen Kuangfan, Ximen Sigong, Ximen Chongsui are rare and virtuous eunuchs. Without them, the Li family's destiny might have ended with the late emperor. Since I ascended the throne, there have been people admonishing me that the world only fears the military and not the emperor, but I did not listen to them. If they said something too much, I would scold them."

Zhang Chengye had always known that there were people around the emperor who requested that all eunuchs be killed to eliminate future troubles, but this was the first time he heard the emperor mention his attitude towards those people. He bowed again and said, "I cannot repay your kindness even if I die."

The sage stood up from his seat, leaned cross-legged, and continued, "It's a pity that there are too few such virtuous eunuchs! Qiu Shiliang and his ilk are the mainstream. It's easy for the sages to bestow wealth and power on their subjects, but they can't guarantee their lives. It's absurd for a master to be driven by a slave!"

"Everyone..." Zhang Chengye and his men fell to the ground, "We have absolutely no intention of rebelling!"

"I know, otherwise I wouldn't say this." The sage said calmly, picking up the wine and drinking it all. "The emperor is arbitrarily deposed and enthroned by his servants, so he can't suppress the four poles and rule his subjects. So I must be the emperor who is appointed by heaven and not supported by someone else. In this way, the hearts of the people in the universe will gather around the emperor. I don't allow eunuchs to interfere in politics, and it has nothing to do with your loyalty, treachery, good and evil. Do you understand?"

Zhang Chengye cried and said, "I have heard the words of the sage!"

"Feilong lets you continue in office."

"My minister obeys."

The saint looked at Ximen Qi again and said quietly, "It is my wish to let Yang Fuguang and Ximen Chongsu live a good and loyal life, so that the family can live in peace and the traitor Han Quanhui will have no descendants. You are a loyal person, but what about your subordinates? Aren't there many cases of warriors coercing generals to rebel? It is better to leave the barracks, indulge in the mountains and rivers, and live a carefree life. I can't see it and can't control it. This is how the Ximen family's good name in history and generations of wealth are obtained."

Ximen Qi was quite moved by these words. Ever since his father passed away, he had been living in fear. Internally, his father's old subordinates rebelled and the soldiers rioted. Externally, the saint's revenge - his father was not very respectful to the saint at the beginning! He also considered rebellion, but the emperor's foundation was already solid, and the people on his side were not united. Taking risks would be like hitting a rock with an egg.

But the final outcome was much better than he expected.

"Everyone is kind-hearted." Ximen Qi bowed his head. Yes.

Li Ye was already very tolerant and generous, which was because he had the moral bottom line of later generations. Otherwise, this group of people who had a criminal record and posed a threat to the emperor would not be able to survive and would have to be exterminated.

The emperor’s mind is hard to predict.

On the second day of July, the sage summoned the generals of the cavalry and infantry divisions to discuss matters and reallocate the internal and external armies and their command rights. After receiving their rewards, the 8000 infantry soldiers of the Baoguo Army were all transferred to Dali to besiege the city. The Dragon Tiger, Yousheng, and Neizhi armies had 12000 people. The coaches of the cavalry and infantry training divisions selected the honest and ignorant, and got people. After reorganization, they were incorporated into the two divisions. The remaining people were combined into one army.
As for Ximen Xi, Ximen Wuji and other generals who lost their military power, they were left to their own devices. For those who wanted to leave, the sage asked the Xuanhui Envoy Yuwen Rou to give them money and goods. Those who did not want to leave were assigned to work in the two offices, clocking in and out in the morning and evening. Whether they could lead troops to war in the future depended on their performance.

In addition, the zoning was also fine-tuned.

The court re-established Zuo Fengling and You Fufeng, and together with Jingzhao Yin, they led the three prefectures.

The Jingzhao Yin remained in charge of the 24 counties outside the suburbs.

Zuo Fengling was in charge of 12 counties including Zheng, Han, Chao, Tonghua and other prefectures, the two ferry crossings of Puban and Fengling, the Shayuan prison, the Donglu salt pond, Changchun Palace, Huashan Palace, and was also the commander of the Tongguan garrison, which included 2 prefectures, 2 crossing crossings, 2 palaces, 1 prison, 1 pass, 1 pond and 12 counties. Li Xijian, the deputy commissioner of the Ministry of Revenue, Salt and Iron and the prime minister of the Three Departments, was favored by the emperor and was honored as the first Fengling Yin.

You Fufeng governed 16 counties including Guo, Yong and Tianshui in the three states of Qi, Long and Qin, the five passes of Anrong, Dazhen, Anyi, Dasan and Taihe, the two roads of Baoxia, and was also the envoy of Hewei to the foreign tribes.

Han Wei, a Hanlin scholar, was appointed as the prefect of Fufeng.

The two prefectures were both in Chang'an, and the government office in Jiahui was under construction. It was very conspicuous, just like Jingzhao Yin, a pure county-level administrative official. Military power? Zuo Fengling concurrently served as the Tongguan Shouzhuo, with only 500 gatekeepers. Youfufeng had no soldiers at all, and the only armed elements that could be mobilized should be the county constables.

----

Boom, boom, boom...

In the dark and eerie Sanqing Hall, the clear sound of wooden fish was knocking again and again.

Looking back at my childhood, if I only see the loneliness in the attic, how unfortunate it is; looking back at the past, if I only see the sadness and fear, how desolate it is. A woman in white clothes fell on the mat, sobbing silently. The saint stood behind the curtain, looking at his sister-in-law who was secretly crying.

Meng Cairen looked haggard, dazed, and his hollow eyes were filled with nightmares and torture, which made people feel pity. His desperate cry was like the rain in late autumn, making people feel sad and silent.

The 31-year-old Meng Cairen had been a widow for four years. Her two infant children were lost or died of illness during the repeated escapes. She, who became a nun in Changchun Palace, could not escape the disaster. She was captured by the rebel army and beaten in the devil's cave. She was so confused that she couldn't even remember how many people she had killed in her skin.

"Master Weixia." Considering that my sister-in-law has been a nun for many years, the saint addressed her by her Taoist name.

"..." Meng Cairen stood up tall, like a statue, with blood-red eyes that were shocking. They looked at each other, but no one spoke.

The seventh brother has matured a lot and has completely shed the immaturity and recklessness he had when he first ascended the throne.

The beautiful sister-in-law in my previous life's memory has become a little more haggard...

After a long period of dead silence, Meng Cairen said hoarsely, "I want to go out of the palace for a walk."

"Yes, as long as the mage is in a better mood."

Zhao, who was standing next to him, thought to herself, "What are you thinking about? You should avoid suspicion when you are in a melon field or a plum field. You and Meng Cairen should not meet each other. How can you say those words?"

"Am I a lawless king?" Looking at the slowly closing palace door, the saint said with a straight face: "I am just concerned about the emperor's sister-in-law. In the past when we were in Western Shu, she took good care of me and Concubine Shu. Don't make assumptions."

"Brother Princess, why do you care?"

“The sage shows great love to the world, and does not abandon it because of the person.”

Afterwards, the saint went to the Privy Council to hear government affairs.

"Wang Jian attacked Pengzhou but failed for a long time, and the people fled to the mountains and hills. Soldiers were arrested every day, which was called "tao lu". The generals would choose the good ones first, and the rest would be divided among the warriors. This has become a common practice. Han commander Yang Shouliang, Ganyi army Mancun, Jian commander Yang Shouzhen and others petitioned to send an important official to Shu to recruit and attack, to take charge of the overall situation, and to command the troops from all routes to attack Jian." Lady Wenren Chuchu of Xingyang County opened the document, looked at the saint with her beautiful eyes and asked for instructions.

"Then send it to a meeting of three provinces." The saint nodded.

"The Youzhou soldiers invaded Yun and Dai in large numbers. Li Situ went to rescue them. The imperial official Guo Chongtao appealed to Chang'an for help, asking to be dismissed from his post and to borrow 300,000 dan of grain, willing to exchange it for 20,000 heads of livestock. The Grand Commandant said that the royal army was at war, and he said that it would be better to issue an imperial edict to reconcile Yan, Zhao, Ding, and Jin. The virtuous concubine was not pleased, saying that the old villain was stingy..." The deputy privy envoy Yang Kezheng asked, "What was the reply to the Grand Commandant and Hedong's petition?"

The father-in-law was so arrogant that he had enemies everywhere. The saint was also annoyed: "Okay. I'll talk to the general later."

If it was three or five times, it would be fine. If it was eight or ten times, the son-in-law would not be able to bear it. If it weren't for the large amount of gold coins from Han Quanhui's group, the 300,000 stones would not be borrowed.

"Sun Ru's entire army ate dried meat, and the soldiers were plagued by an epidemic, with more than half of them dead. Ru was also infected. Xing Mi heard that the Cai bandits were crazy, so he defeated them. Xing Mi reported the victory, saying that he had sent Ru's head to the capital, and it would arrive at the end of the month, and asked for the governor of Huainan. Ru's generals Liu Jianfeng and Ma Yin fled to Yuchang. When they arrived in Jiangxi, the bandits were strong again, with more than 100,000 people, and no one was left alive wherever they passed."

Sun Ru is dead? The saint was refreshed.

Good death! Or was he captured by a warrior on his sickbed and given to Yang Xingmi...

It was not easy for Yang Xingmi. He was beaten for so long, and finally took advantage of the conflict between Cai Jun and him to defeat him. After Sun Ru's death, the Jianghuai water transport line will be reopened! The big taxpayers Qian Liu and Dong Chang have been paying tributes by detours in the past two years, with huge annual tributes. Guangzhou, Jinghai Army, Qinghai Army, Fujian, and Yongwuguan also paid tributes. When Zhaozong was arrested and imprisoned in Huazhou in later generations, he was still paying money to the emperor.

Without the support of these people, Zhaozong would not have been able to conduct three large-scale military training exercises.

The emperor is relieved! When this line is reopened, the wealth from the south will arrive in Chang'an, and it will not be a big problem to support an army of 100,000.

Nangong Chongyan slowly closed the memorial and asked, "The governor of Huainan is Quanzhong's concurrent post. If I take it away and give it to Xingmi, I'm afraid it will make the people of Bian enemies. Should I send it to the three provinces?"

"I have formed an alliance with the Jin people through marriage, which has already annoyed Zhu San. Let's send it down for discussion."

"The Ministry of Rites requested that the female nuns of Changchun Palace be placed in Xuandu Temple. All the prime ministers have signed their names and there is no objection. After the seal is used, it will be sent to the Secretariat for execution." Yang Kezhen opened another document and handed it over.

"But..." The word rushed out of his mouth, and the saint dragged it out again. Considering that his sister-in-law had just been rescued and her emotions were not very stable, he made proper arrangements: "But Xuandu Temple is in tatters, so let's wait until it is repaired. Although Master Weixia is temporarily practicing in Sanqing Hall, the expenses are indispensable. In addition, select reliable and strong palace maids to guard and do not disturb them."

"Yes, I'll pass the order to the Ye Ting Bureau now." Yang Ke Zheng agreed.

"Where were you talking about?"

“Ahem…” Nangong Chongyan cleared his throat: “Perhaps because Huainan is hostile to the people of Bian, we need to prepare for a rainy day.”

"Nature's law," the sage replied nonchalantly.

　There is no eunuch, please don't speculate, I'm just busy these two days, please forgive me. Also, your voting rumors are too unimportant, I have no motivation to write, alas. Women dress up for those who please them, men die for those who understand them, and stories are
　　
　
(End of this chapter)