A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 474 Burning the bridge across the river
Li Yi stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the sudden death of the Duke of Changcheng County indicates that he did not live long. The court should issue an edict for a grand funeral, and let his youngest son inherit the title to continue the family's legacy. All former subordinates from Hebei in the capital should also attend the funeral."

Dou Jiande is dead.
The dead cannot be brought back to life, so the important thing now is to follow up, to minimize the impact, and especially to appease Dou's old subordinates and the people of Hebei.

His two wives each left him with only one daughter, but not long ago a concubine gave birth to a son for him.

Li Yuan, holding a half-eaten boiled corn, quickly understood Li Yi's meaning.

With Dou Jiande dead, Li Yuan was relieved of one of his worries, and it didn't matter if he named him posthumously.

“The words of the Prince of Wu’an are reasonable. Dou Jiande shall be posthumously granted the title of Duke of Xia and Governor of Weizhou, and shall be buried with the rites due to the Duke of Xia. His son shall inherit the title of Duke of Xia, and his former subordinates Qi Shanxing and Cao Dan shall be appointed to oversee the funeral.”

Li Yi sighed inwardly. Even if the emperor wanted to eliminate future troubles, he had acted too hastily. He had only been in the capital for half a month before dying suddenly; who in Hebei would believe it was a sudden death?

Everyone would assume that the Tang emperor killed Dou Jiande.

Dou Jiande was able to win the hearts of the people in Hebei and enjoyed high popularity. He was neither tyrannical nor cruel to the people.

Such a person is best kept in Chang'an with good food and drink for the rest of his life, at least for ten or eight years, so that the court can minimize Dou Jiande's influence in Hebei.

Killing Dou Jiande now will only bring harm and no benefit.

But what happened left Li Yi helpless. Returning to Hebei would have been easy, but now this mess...
While I wouldn't dare say that Hebei will descend into chaos, it will certainly certainly cause some turmoil.

The emperor sent messengers to summon the prime ministers and other high-ranking officials to the palace for a meeting.

Li Yi discovered that the emperor had addressed even the ministers and vice ministers, but not the Prince of Qin, who held the positions of Grand General of the Heavenly Strategy, Grand Secretary and Grand Minister of State, Grand Commandant and Minister of Works, Governor of Yongzhou, Grand Secretary of the Shaanxi East Circuit, and Grand General of the Twelve Guards.

In the Wude Hall,

Li Yuan sat expressionlessly on the imperial couch.

The ministers have all arrived.

Li Yuan opened his eyes and glanced around.

"The Turkic leader Jieli has repeatedly invaded the border, and many bandits in Hedong and Hebei have been bribed to join the rebellion," the emperor said. At first, everyone was somewhat surprised.

The emperor cited the invasion of the Turkic Khaganate by Jieli Khan and the rebellion of bandits in Hedong and Hebei. He then began to adjust his plans, defending the border externally and suppressing the bandits internally.

Crown Prince Li Jiancheng was appointed governor of the Northwest, accompanied by Prince Yan, Li Yi, and General Sang Xianhe.

Prince Dingxiang, Li Da'en, and Prince Beiping, Li Kaidao, returned to their respective garrisons. Liu Shirang was restored to his official rank and title, appointed as the governor of Wuzhou, and assisted Li Da'en in guarding Yanmen and plotting against Mayi.

When Li Yuan, the Prince of Lujiang, was appointed to govern Youzhou, he was appointed Grand General. Wang Junkuo, the Duke of Peng, was appointed Chief Secretary of the Grand General's Office and assisted in governing Youzhou.

Luo, the Right Second Protector of the Prince of Qin's Palace, Left General of the Martial Guard, and Grand Pillar of State, was appointed as the Governor of Dingzhou.

Qiu Xingze, the Left Second Protector of the Qin Prince's Palace, Left Gatekeeper General, and Pillar of State, was appointed Governor-General of Ji Province.

Tian Liuan, the Right Fourth Commander of the Prince of Qin's Palace and a Pillar of State, was appointed as the Governor-General of Weizhou.

Zhang Daoyuan, the Dali Minister, was appointed as the General Administrator of Xiangzhou.

Liu Zhan, the governor of Haozhou, was appointed as the general manager of Dezhou.

The emperor's series of personnel reshuffles in Hebei
Of the eight stewards, six were replaced at once.

Only Li Yi, the Grand Administrator of Mingzhou, and Huang Junhan, the Grand Administrator of Huaizhou, remained unchanged. All the other Grand Administrators who had been replaced after the pacification of Dou Jiande had been replaced.

The former generals of Dou Jiande, such as Qi Shanxing, the general manager of Jizhou, and Ju Leng, the general manager of Weizhou, were dismissed.

Next came the governors of the various prefectures in Hebei. The emperor made another comprehensive reshuffle, and governors such as Fan Yuan, Cui Lixing, Cao Dan, and Feng Shixian were all reassigned to other posts, while most of them remained in the capital.

After the Shandong Provincial Administration was abolished, a large number of Dou Jiande's former subordinates who had been appointed as officials of the Provincial Administration were dismissed and transferred back to the capital. Now, with the major reshuffle of the governors of the eight general administrations and twenty-four prefectures, the remaining group of Dou Jiande's former subordinates were dismissed from their posts in Hebei and kept in the capital.

Li Yi sat in the Wude Hall.
The emperor came prepared.

This further confirms that he killed Dou Jiande.
The emperor was so eager to take action against Hebei, apparently because he was worried that the Turkic Khaganate, Jieli Khan, would launch a full-scale invasion and that Dou Jiande's former subordinates in Hebei would collude with the Turks to lead the way.

The emperor didn't discuss it at all; he announced his decision.

Prince Li Yi of Yan went to court and accompanied the Crown Prince to the Northwest, leaving the incompetent Li Yuan to govern Youzhou.

Li Kaidao was a fickle man, yet the emperor actually let him go back.

Hearing the list announced by the emperor, his uncle Zhang He was appointed as the governor of Xiangzhou. From Daliqing to governor of Xiangzhou, from the third rank to the third rank, it was a promotion.

However, there is currently no hierarchical relationship between the eight general governorates, the two major general governorates, and the six intermediate general governorates in Hebei.

Even Li Yi, a second-rank chief steward, couldn't control the third-rank middle chief steward next door.

Of the eight chief stewards appointed this time, three came from the Prince of Qin's court: Shuang Shilu, Qiu Xingze, and Tian Liuan. Their appointment as chief stewards of Hebei should not be seen as the Prince of Qin's power growing and taking root in Hebei, but rather as the emperor further reducing the Prince of Qin's power.

By transferring his trusted military officers to local posts and effectively sidelining the Prince of Qin in Chang'an, they were effectively separating and cutting him off from his authority.

Qiu Xingze, the governor of Ji Province, is the father of Qiu Shenyan, an old friend of Li Yi, and the half-brother of Qiu Xinggong, a trusted bodyguard of the King of Qin.

The offices of the Lizhou General Administration and the Yingzhou General Administration were abolished again.

Hebei Province still maintains the new structure of eight general administrations and twenty-four prefectures, which should be considered an improvement over the past. Historically, Hebei had ten sheep and nine pastures, with a large number of general administrations and prefectures, which actually continued until the Zhenguan era.

The Youzhou General Administration alone governed as many as thirty-five prefectures.

However, this time the emperor almost completely eradicated Dou Jiande's old troops in Hebei and left them all in Chang'an. The governor and prefect of Hebei hardly used any people from Hebei, especially Dou Jiande's old troops, which was a bit too much.

Too hasty.

He was quite worried about renewed unrest in Hebei.

Chaos is bound to happen, but it's unclear just how bad it will get.

Sometime later, the court debate ended.

The emperor spared Li Yi.

A list was handed to him.

“I have prepared a list of officials for your Wu’an Prince’s Mansion. If you think any of them are unsuitable, just say so and I will replace them for you.”

Li Yi looked down and examined the exhibits closely. The names listed were: Prince Wu'an, Fu Suwei; Prince Wu'an, Youyun Dingxing; Consultant Qi Shanxing; East and West Pavilion Libationers Ma Jiayun; and Sima Caizhang.

Zhang Xuansu, the Registrar.

Chief Secretary Li Keshi, Sima Wang Cong, and Clerk Cheng Mingzhen were subordinate to Liu Rengui.

Chief Clerk Deng Shilong, Secretary Li Renshi, and Zhang Yanshou.

Military Advisor, Gongcao...

A complete list of officials in the Prince of Wu'an's mansion, from tutors and friends to clerks and military advisors.

The positions of the four military commanders and eight deputy military commanders, all of whom were of the fifth rank, were also fully staffed.
Liu Xuanye, Luo Dafu, Su Dingfang, and Liu Heita were the four commanders, and there were eight other unidentified deputy commanders.

Li Yi was quite surprised by the complete staff of the Prince's Palace.

Many of his subordinates were from Hebei and were former subordinates of Dou Jiande.

For example, Wang Cong, originally the Assistant Prefect of Hejian, had resolutely resisted Dou Jiande and refused to surrender. He only surrendered after Yang Guang was assassinated, and Dou Jiande treated him well, appointing him Governor of Yingzhou. When Zheng Shanguo was captured in Hebei, Wang Cong vehemently criticized him, saying that Zheng, as a scion of a prestigious family and a high-ranking official, not only failed to be loyal to the emperor but also followed the assassin, driving Zheng to suicide out of shame.

For example, Qi Shanxing was not only a fellow townsman of Dou Jiande, but also Dou Jiande's brother-in-law, and once served as the Left Minister of the Xia State.

Zhang Xuansu was once the Registrar of Jingcheng during the Sui Dynasty, and later became the Yellow Gate Attendant under Dou.

Li Keshi was Li Jing's younger brother, and originally served as a military advisor to Li Yi in Youzhou.

Cheng Mingzhen also served as the magistrate of Dou Jiande County.

Although some of the Hebei people that the emperor arranged for Li Yi were former high-ranking officials such as prime minister, governor, and vice minister under Dou Jiande, most of them were still officials of the sixth or seventh rank.

Wang Fusuwei, who was eighty years old, was a high-ranking official in several dynasties, but given his age, he was only a figurehead.

The truly important officials under the Prince's residence were Chief Secretary Li Keshi, Sima Wang Cong, Clerk Cheng Mingzhen, Subordinate Liu Rengui, and Registrar Zhang Xuansu.

"There may be some unrest in Hebei, so I'm entrusting the task of pacifying it to you."

The Eight Generals governed forty-eight military districts.

The imperial court also maintained a garrison of over 20,000 troops in Hebei.
Now that Dou Jiande is dead, most of his former subordinates and confidants in Hebei are being held by the emperor in Chang'an.

Li Yuan felt that they couldn't cause any trouble.

Even Li Yi of Youzhou, whom he was somewhat wary of, has now entered the court. It will only take some time for Hebei to be stabilized.

Because he felt that Hebei was already stable, Li Yuan agreed to abolish the Shandong Circuit Administration, and then dismissed the Hebei Circuit Pacification Commissioner, as well as the two major general administrations, which no longer governed the other six central general administrations.

"It would be a waste of your talents to have you stationed in Mingzhou. I originally wanted to send you to Bingzhou or Lingzhou, but Hebei was just pacified by you and Erlang, so I decided to keep you in charge and continue to govern."

"Wait until Hebei is pacified before you go to court."

"Your Majesty, as the Grand General of Mingzhou, I feel a great responsibility on my shoulders. I am entrusted with the military affairs of eight prefectures, and I fear that I may fail to live up to Your Majesty's high expectations."

Li Yuan smiled and said, "That's why I've selected many officials for you, let you establish your own government, and have these officials assist you in managing it."

"Your Majesty, I request to resign from my positions as Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary, General of the Banner, General of the Right Guard, Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and Commander of the Left Guard of the Crown Prince. I am going to Hebei and will not be able to take care of these duties. I dare not hold these positions without doing my job."

Li Yuan looked at Li Yi.
He pondered for a long time.

"In that case, you can temporarily put aside the positions of General of the Banner of the Wannian Road and Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, but you can continue to hold other positions for now."

Li Yi still requested to resign.

"Yang Gongren also held the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary while serving in Liangzhou in Hexi. Prince Qi, Yuanji, also held the positions of Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary while serving in Jizhou, and he also remotely held the positions of Grand General of Bingzhou and Minister of the Xiangzhou Circuit."

Final result,
Li Yi did not resign from his position as Attendant-in-Ordinary, nor did he resign from all his concurrent posts in the Eastern Palace.

His current official titles are Grand Master of the Palace, Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary, General of the Right Guard and Left Guard of the Crown Prince, Grand General of Mingzhou, Pillar of State, and Prince of Wu'an.

"When you return to Mingzhou, govern the region according to your own ideas. Be bold and do it. Whether you want to make good use of the powerful clans and gentry of Hebei or the remnants of Dou Jiande's puppet officials, you will be granted special privileges."

I have only one request: to stabilize the area as soon as possible and resume production. If anyone causes trouble, suppress them swiftly and decisively, without leniency.

Dialogue between the monarch and his ministers

Li Yuan did not mention the uproar that had swept the city a few days earlier, where Li Yi had humiliated the Zheng and Cui families, but the emperor did not care at all.

"This year, the Turks may launch another major invasion of Hedong and Hebei, and there will certainly be an even bigger war next year. The imperial court will have to fight a decisive battle with the Turks sooner or later. Hebei is of paramount importance; money, grain, and troops are all indispensable. More importantly, Hebei must be stable."

"We must not allow the imperial court to be engaged in a major war with the Turks on the front lines while rebellions break out in the rear in Hebei."

Li Yineng understood the emperor's concerns.
The emperor still hoped to keep the enemy at bay and buy more time. He wanted the Tang Dynasty to first pacify the south and unify the country.

Then, accumulate enough strength to fight a decisive battle with the Turks, and never fight a battle unprepared.

However, the Turks also knew the Tang Dynasty's intentions. They were determined to prevent the Tang Dynasty from unifying the world and would launch a war at this stage to force the Tang Dynasty to fight a decisive battle ahead of schedule.

From a purely military perspective,
The emperor directly appointed Li Shimin as the Grand General of Bingzhou, stationed in Taiyuan.

Li Yi was appointed as the Grand General of Youzhou or Lingzhou, stationed in either location. He then dispatched capable generals from the Qin Prince's mansion to the various general administrations along the border to guard the area, ensuring a safe defense against the Turks.

But Li Yuan dared not do that.

While this might defend against the Turks, it would put the crown prince in danger, and in the long run, even threaten his throne.

Being an emperor isn't easy.

You have to weigh the pros and cons at every turn, just like walking a tightrope.

Unfortunately, Li Yi knew that no matter how much the emperor tried to guard against it, it would be useless. The Tang Dynasty truly could not do without the Prince of Qin, especially when it came to war.

Using the King of Qin is like drinking poison to quench thirst, but if they don't use him, there's no one else to replace him. Can they rely on the Crown Prince? Facts will prove otherwise.

A rope strung with tofu, impossible to lift. An old woman weeps for her daughter, having no hope for a son. A rooster lays an egg, a hopeless situation.

Unless Li Yuan, like a tiger devouring its own cub, killed Dou Jiande and others just as he killed Li Shimin, then the military merit group might support the crown prince. But Li Yuan wasn't that ruthless.

(End of this chapter)