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

Chapter 701 The Emperor's Hundred Riders
Li Yi's archery skills were mediocre, and his bow strength was only average, but he was still better than Hou Junji.

Sixty steps away
Li Yi shot at a fixed target, hitting the target with ten arrows in a row.

But the soldiers present were all more skilled than him.

"I intend to select one hundred skilled archers and horsemen, and have them serve as guards at the North Gate in two shifts when I travel."

Li Yi immediately thought of the historically renowned Hundred Riders.

This marked the beginning of the Northern Garrison of the Tang Dynasty, starting with a hundred cavalrymen. Later, there were also a thousand cavalrymen and flying cavalrymen. By the time of Emperor Xuanzong, there were even ten thousand cavalrymen, and the garrison continued to expand.

Having successfully seized the throne at Xuanwu Gate, Li Shimin realized the weakness of the palace's defenses by easily entering the palace and controlling the emperor and crown prince with only eight hundred guards.

He needs a special force: a lean, absolutely loyal, swift, and personal army that listens only to him.

No one but him can mobilize this force, not even the crown prince or the prime minister.

This troop was stationed outside Xuanwu Gate, taking turns on duty. They could monitor the Xuanwu Gate guards and also accompany him when he left the palace.

"Your Majesty's idea is excellent. You can select one hundred young, strong, and skilled riders and archers, and have them take turns leading troops at Xuanwu Gate."
Normally, I could receive personal instruction in horsemanship, archery, and military strategy from His Majesty, just like now.

In this way, they will not only be His Majesty's most loyal and valiant guards, but they can also be appointed as officers in the future, commanding troops and gradually growing into outstanding military generals of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Yi's answer pleased Li Shimin.

After Emperor Emeritus Li Yuan entered the Taiji Palace, he also established an imperial guard.
The Yuan imperial guards, known as the "father-son army," numbered as many as 30,000. Most of them were former subordinates who had followed the uprising from Taiyuan into Guanzhong and then did not want to return to Hedong.

Li Yuan selected the best land in seven counties along the Baiqu Canal in Weibei and distributed it to these soldiers, allowing them to serve as imperial guards for generations, fathers and sons, and brothers.

However, this massive Yuan Imperial Guard failed to protect Emperor Wude at the crucial moment.

Li Shimin also had 30,000 former troops under the Qin Prince's Mansion and the Six Protectorates.

But that's still not enough.

That's when the idea of ​​forming a hundred elite cavalry came to mind.

The Imperial Guards of Emperor Wude, whose ranks had been thoroughly compromised by Li Shimin, were immediately placed under the command of his trusted confidants Zhou Xiaofan, Cheng Yaojin, Zhang Shigui, Chang He, and Jing Junhong after his successful usurpation of the throne.
And a lot of personnel were reassigned.

but,
The Left and Right Garrison Camps were not an independent unit; they were still subordinate to the Left and Right Garrison Guards.

Although now the entire camp, from top to bottom, has been replaced by our own people.

but,
Li Shimin still felt it wasn't enough.

In particular, it lacks mobility.

One hundred riders,

This was the loophole that Li Shimin wanted to plug and fill the gap in the mobile escort.

Li Shimin even had special ideas about the selection of personnel.

First, they must have a legitimate background; they must be former members of the Prince of Qin's household or former members of the Imperial Guard, or their sons, and priority will be given to selecting them from among them.

Secondly, one must be skilled in riding and archery. Not only must one be tall and strong, but one must also be able to ride and shoot well.

“Only those who are six feet tall and broad-shouldered can be selected. They must be able to ride a horse four times, lift their shin five times, and carry five bushels of rice for thirty steps.”

These conditions,

Even many active-duty soldiers couldn't complete it.

"Your Majesty, I believe that having a hundred riders accompanying you on your journeys is not enough. We should select strong and brave soldiers to form seven battalions in the Northern Army, with one battalion on duty each month, taking turns guarding the palace."

The Seven Camps of the Northern Army, like the Hundred Cavalry, were not part of the Twelve Guards and Four Prefectures; they were directly under the Emperor's command.

The 100 cavalrymen were mobile attendants, while the seven battalions were stationed at fixed points for defense.

The two imperial guards had more rigorous selection processes and more stable and reliable personnel.

The Left and Right Garrison Camps still exist, but they are subordinate to the Southern Government and belong to the Twelve Guards.

However, these hundred cavalry and seven battalions were separate from this system and belonged solely to the emperor's command.

After listening to this, Li Shimin thought it was very good.

···
Li Yi entered the Hall of State Affairs.

Knowing that he didn't like brewing tea, the steward behind the hall simply boiled water for him.

The government affairs hall was responsible for supplying various tribute teas.

Li Yi, however, still preferred to bring his own tea.

He likes to drink loose-leaf tea, especially green tea.

However, nowadays only a very small number of people drink loose tea, and it is not easy to preserve. Only someone like Li Yi has a magical space to do so.
Once the new tea was picked and processed, it was transported to Chang'an by fast horse and delivered to him. He put it into his spatial dimension, where time seemed to stop, and the tea was preserved even better than if it had been stored in a refrigerator.

There's absolutely no need to worry about it spoiling and affecting the taste.

When steeped in boiling water, the fresh aroma of green tea fills the air.

Du Ruhui came over with a smile to freeload some tea.

"You've preserved this tea so well; it's always so fresh and delicious, no matter when you give it to me. The loose tea you gave me can't be preserved this fresh."

Changsun Wuji brought over a cup of milk tea. He didn't like this kind of loose-leaf tea. "I heard that the Prince of Dai stayed at the Eastern Palace last night and slept in the same bed as His Majesty?"

"Yes, let's chat about the past with His Majesty."

Changsun Wuji said, "I slept with Your Majesty before Your Majesty ascended the throne."

Fang Xuanling laughed and said, "I am not like the Prince of Dai and the Duke of Qi, who can enter and leave His Majesty's bedroom and even sleep in the same bed."

Du Ruhui replied, "Neither do I."

Changsun scrutinized Li Yi's purple robe. "Prince Dai's official robe is brand new. Could it have been bestowed upon you by His Majesty?"

"Ah."

"This robe is no ordinary garment. The silk used in this robe, and the patterns on it, make it equivalent to dozens of ordinary silk robes."

Changsun Wuji certainly didn't lack the money for a robe.
He was quite envious of Li Yi's favor with the emperor.

“Your Highness, Prince Consort Chai has resigned from his post as commander of the army to attack Liang. Who should take over?” Changsun Wuji really wanted to take command himself.

Li Yi looked up, his gaze sweeping across the hall.

All six prime ministers have arrived.

"Now that all of you gentlemen are here, let's discuss this matter. There are a few important matters to attend to today, which I have been ordered to announce. Let's discuss them together."

Changsun Wuji and the others returned to their positions.

Today should have been the day when Changsun Wuji took over the administration and presided over the meeting.

However, Li Yi had an imperial decree to convey, so everyone could only wait for Li Yi to speak.

"Firstly, regarding the matter of Duke Huo, Chai Shao, resigning his post and leading the campaign against Liang Shidu, His Majesty's intention is to appoint Li Jing, Duke of Yongkang and Governor of Daizhou, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, while Duke of Qi, Changsun Xiang, will remain as the Chief Clerk of the Army, and Duke of Wu, Yuchi Gong, will be the Deputy Commander-in-Chief."

In addition, Li Daozong, the governor of Lingzhou, and Duan Decao, the governor of Yanzhou, were appointed as the military commanders of Yanzhou Circuit and Yinzhou Circuit, respectively.

Tuli Khan and Left Wise King Li Simo led the Turkic army in coordinated action.

"What do you gentlemen think of this matter?"

"Who supports it, and who opposes it?"

Changsun Wuji wanted to take command, but the emperor had already made the arrangements, and there was nothing he could do. Besides, he wasn't very confident in his ability to lead the army.

After hesitating for a moment, I nodded and voiced my support.

Fang and Du also agreed.

Gao Shilian and Yuwen Shiji hesitated slightly, feeling that Li Jing was too old and whether it was appropriate to use him.

"Aren't there any other more suitable candidates?"

"Other candidates?" Li Yi said with a smile, "His Majesty originally intended to personally lead the expedition against Liang Shidu, to personally fight this final battle for unification."
I had a hard time persuading His Majesty to change his mind, and in the end, I recommended the Duke of Yongkang to be the commander-in-chief.

Upon hearing Li Yi say that it was he who recommended Li Jing,
The two of them smiled and agreed.

If the emperor really has to personally lead the army, that would be a real problem.

Changsun Wuji, however, said to him, "It would be better for you, Prince Dai, to personally lead the troops, rather than having Li Yaoshi take command."

"I think I'd better not go to Shuofang to eat sand. It's not as comfortable as staying in Chang'an."

The first item was passed smoothly, and the next step was to draft the edict and go through the procedures.

Pick up the teacup, take a sip, and moisten your throat.

Li Yi then issued another decree.

"His Majesty intends to appoint Pei Shiju as Acting Grand Councilor and Minister of Civil Affairs, and Wei Zheng as Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat to participate in state affairs and enter the Hall of State Affairs."

This short sentence,

This surprised the other five prime ministers.

Changsun Wuji was the first to object, "Putting aside the fact that Pei Shiju is the Crown Prince's tutor, just look at his age, he should be seventy-seven years old this year, right?"

At his age, to be appointed prime minister? And to concurrently hold the positions of Grand Councilor and Minister of Revenue—can he even handle it?

"And what about Wei Zheng? Has he been promoted too quickly? From Left Vice Minister of the Administrative Office to Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, then to Director of the Imperial Secretariat, and now he's about to enter the Hall of State Affairs."

Besides,

The Hall of State Affairs of the Great Tang Dynasty is where the prime minister discusses state affairs, and all those who enter the Hall of State Affairs are the heads of the three provinces.

When did officials become allowed to enter the Hall of State Affairs and participate in government affairs?
"The appointment of the Secretary-General to the Council of State Affairs is unprecedented and violates established procedures."

The prime minister of the Tang Dynasty
This refers to the heads of the three departments: the Ministry of Personnel, the Secretariat, and the Chancellery.

When did other officials also become eligible to be called prime ministers?
The Director of the Secretariat was the head of the Secretariat, but the Secretariat, along with the Inner Palace Attendants' Office and the Palace Palace Office, were the three inner departments, and their power differed greatly from that of the three departments of the Ministry of Personnel.

There is no precedent for this!

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were also puzzled by the emperor's decision.

If you really want Wei Zheng to become prime minister, then you can just give him the position of head of three provinces, or you can give him the title of inspector or concurrently hold the title of official.

Yuwen Shiji was the Acting Grand Secretary, and now Pei Shiju is also the Acting Grand Attendant.

Li Yi was concurrently the Minister of Works, Attendant-in-Ordinary, and Minister of War.

This is truly the first time someone has directly participated in government affairs as the Secretary-General.

"What is Wei Zheng doing? If he is not the prime minister participating in state affairs in the Hall of State Affairs, then is he the prime minister or not?"
Is he also eligible to take turns serving as the political scribe?

Li Yi, having received the imperial decree, naturally had to deliver it effectively.

"Lord Changsun, His Majesty's intention is to appoint Lord Wei as the Chancellor of the State Council, in the capacity of Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. Although he is not the head of the Three Departments, the title of 'participating in government affairs' is specifically created for entering the State Council to participate in government affairs."

The other prime ministers in the Council of State Affairs all held the position of governor of three provinces. They discussed state affairs together in the Council of State Affairs, and each of them also governed a province. For some important matters, the governors of the three provinces could communicate together to speed up the process.

Wei Zheng was not promoted from the Three Departments, but now that he has entered the Council of State Affairs, he also has the power to participate in government affairs, although he cannot directly manage the Three Departments.

The new emperor's authority is very strong in the Council of State, especially now that all six prime ministers are his men.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui both immediately expressed their support.

With the Left Vice Minister and the Grand Secretary both agreeing, and Li Yi, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, also expressing his support, it was equivalent to the three departments having approved it. The others quickly followed suit.

Li Yi picked up his pen and wrote it down.

"There's one last little thing."
Your Majesty shall select one hundred skilled riders and archers, bestow upon them the name "One Hundred Riders," and have them take turns serving at the North Gate, accompanying Your Majesty on your travels.

In addition, seven battalions of the Northern Army were established, with one battalion rotating monthly, stationed outside Xuanwu Gate.

The 100 cavalry and the seven battalions were not subordinate to the twelve guards and four prefectures of the Southern Court, but were directly under the Emperor's personal guard.

"The expenses for the 100 cavalry and the seven battalions were all paid from the Emperor's private treasury."

This is yet another instance of not following the rules.
This time, however, no one hesitated; they all immediately expressed their agreement.

The Emperor's decree
It was perfectly implemented in the Council of State Affairs.

On the same day,

The process is now complete.

The imperial court issued an edict appointing Pei Shiju as Acting Grand Councilor and concurrently Minister of Civil Affairs. At the advanced age of seventy-seven, he was appointed Prime Minister, a truly legendary feat.

He rose to prominence in the Northern Qi dynasty, serving as a military officer under the Prince of Beiping. After the fall of the Northern Qi, he was recruited by Yang Jian, the governor of Dingzhou in the Northern Zhou dynasty, to serve as his secretary. When the Sui dynasty was established, he was appointed as a court official under Yang Jian.

During the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang of Sui, Pei Shiju participated in government affairs, gained their deep trust, and wielded great power.

Even after the Jiangdu Mutiny, he was appointed as the Right Minister of the Ministry of Personnel of the Great Xu Kingdom by Yuwen Huaji. Later, he was captured by Dou Jiande, but was still appointed as the Right Minister of the Ministry of Personnel of the Great Xia Dynasty.

After Dou Jiande's defeat, he surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. He was over seventy years old and started as a Palace Attendant Censor. In just a few years, he rose to the position of Inspector-in-Chief and Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Amidst gasps of amazement throughout Chang'an,
Pei Shiju did not refuse the emperor's offer to appoint him as prime minister. He readily accepted the appointment and then submitted a letter of thanks.

Xie Biaoli, Pei Shiju changed his name, removing the character "Shi" from the middle and changing his name to Pei Ju.

He then requested that the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which he concurrently led, be renamed the Ministry of Revenue.

Wei Zheng, on the other hand, submitted a memorial declining the appointment after receiving the imperial edict to become prime minister.

Upon hearing the news, Li Yi couldn't help but sigh that Pei Shiju truly lived up to his reputation as a treacherous villain.

Li Shimin had long ago issued an edict that did not require the characters "Shi" and "Min" to be read together without taboo.

Pei Shiju wasn't named Pei Shimin, so there was no need to avoid the taboo and change his name. There was also no need for the Ministry of Civil Affairs to be changed to the Ministry of Revenue.

But Pei Shiju insisted on submitting a memorial, removing one character from his name which he had used for seventy-seven years, and was the first to request that the Ministry of Civil Affairs be changed to the Ministry of Revenue.

No wonder he was able to serve from the Northern Qi to the Northern Zhou, from the Sui Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, and even served as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel for the Great Xu Kingdom under Yuwen Huaji and the Great Xia Dynasty under Dou Jiande. He served six dynasties in one person, which is quite impressive.

What's especially remarkable is that, despite his advanced age, he's in excellent health and could probably work for another three or four years without any problem.

A political survivor, a living fossil of the court.

This cunning old fox is probably why Li Shimin chose him to serve as prime minister in the Council of State Affairs. Having an old minister who wasn't a direct descendant of the Prince of Qin's family among the prime ministers makes things look better.

There's no need to worry, this isn't Old Pei from the Qin Prince's mansion, he won't cause trouble in the Hall of State Affairs.

(End of this chapter)