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

Chapter 709 Chancellor (or Co-Chancellor)
The first day of August.

After the grand court assembly on the first day of the lunar month,

The Grand Secretary Yuwen Shiji summoned his six Grand Secretary scribes.
"By imperial decree, Bai Ma announces that Wen Yanbo, the Prefect of Yongzhou and Acting Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, shall serve as Chancellor, and Wang Gui, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and concurrently Right Vice Minister to the Crown Prince, shall serve as Attendant-in-Ordinary."

Who will draft the imperial edict?

It was not surprising that two prime ministers and six attendants were appointed in succession, after all, their former superior, the Grand Secretary Gao Shilian, had been demoted to the Governor of Anzhou, and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Changsun Wuji, had been promoted to the honorary title of Grand Master of the Three Departments.

Every job has its place; someone has to fill it.

It was not surprising that Wang Gui was appointed prime minister, given the emperor's previous praise and rewards, including promotions, titles, and marriage alliances.
His promotions were somewhat enviable; the deposed crown prince's confidant was still being so highly valued. In just one month, after being pardoned and returning from exile in Xizhou, Shu, he first became the seventh-rank registrar of the Crown Prince's office, then the fourth-rank Right Grand Counselor, and then the Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat and the Right Vice Director of the Crown Prince's household.

Then he immediately issued a decree in white hemp cloth and was appointed to serve as a palace attendant.

This speed of promotion can be described as meteoric.

Even the emperor's old subordinates didn't receive such treatment.

Wen Yanbo's position as Chancellor was not bad, after all, he was a trusted confidant of Emperor Wude, who had long been in charge of confidential matters and had originally served as Vice Chancellor.

However, the fact that a trusted former minister of Emperor Wude was able to be appointed prime minister is a testament to the magnanimity of the new emperor.

Liu Shiche, a scribe in the Imperial Secretariat, said: "The two imperial edicts appointing ministers should be drafted personally by Vice Minister Yan and Vice Minister Liu."

Liu Linfu waved his hand, "Drafting imperial edicts is the duty of the Secretariat Drafters, you can draft them."

After the founding of the dynasty, Liu Linfu served as a secretary in the Secretariat, in charge of confidential matters. He was known for his talent and was considered one of Xiao Yu's men. When the emperor seized power in a palace coup, he and another secretary, Yan Sigu, were both promoted to vice ministers of the Secretariat.

Liu Linfu has already been summoned by the emperor.

Wen Yanbo was appointed as the Grand Secretary, and the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was vacant. He, the Vice Minister of the Grand Secretary, was to be transferred to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Although both the Vice Minister of the Chancellery and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel are fourth-rank officials, it is very difficult to be promoted from the fourth rank to the third rank; one has to go through several cycles within the fourth rank.

Even among the Six Ministries, there were front, middle, and rear ranks. The officials and soldiers were in the front ranks, while the vice ministers of the Secretariat and the Chancellery were ranked before the officials and soldiers.

Liu Linfu's transfer from Vice Minister of the Chancellery to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was essentially a demotion. He knew that he was Xiao Yu's man, and since Xiao Yu had been dismissed from his post as Chancellor and demoted to Prefect of Qizhou, Liu Linfu, as Vice Minister of the Chancellery, naturally had to be reassigned as well.

They were all about to leave, so he wouldn't try to snatch the draft imperial edict anymore.

Yan Sigu was also summoned by the emperor, and he was demoted from the fourth-rank official position of Zhongshu Shilang to the fourth-rank official position of Mishu Shaojian.

We are getting further and further away from that crucial threshold, from entering the ranks of the elite.

Those in power were dismissed from their posts, and they were also affected.

Yuwen Shiji's gaze swept over the six secretaries.
"Li Sheren, you shall draft the imperial edict."

The man named by Yuwen Shiji was an old man with gray hair, who was fifty-nine years old this year. He had only recently been pardoned and recalled by Li Shimin from Jingzhou and appointed as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat.

"promise."

The old man in the scarlet robe didn't stand on ceremony. He spread out some white hemp paper and began to write.

Dip the brush in ink, and begin writing.
"Disciples"

Liu Shiche watched Li Baiyao's calligraphy flow like a dragon. Although this old man was the last of the six secretaries to take office, his reputation was much greater than all of them.

This man came from the Li clan of Zhao County, a branch of the Anping lineage in Boling, one of the five surnames and seven clans. His father was Li Delin, a prime minister of the Sui Dynasty. In his youth, Li Baiyao was a romantic and talented man who served as a scribe and scholar in the Eastern Palace for Crown Prince Yang Yong.

The story of Li Jing and Hong Fu running away together at Yang Su's residence has been passed down for generations. When Li Baiyao was young, he also abducted a beautiful concubine from Yang Su's residence.

Like Li Jing, Li Baiyao was successful in his youth, but later his career was wasted. Because he had served as an official in Yang Yong's Eastern Palace, he was demoted to various positions after Yang Guang ascended the throne, including Prefect of Guizhou, Commandant of the Yueqi Cavalry in Linsi Prefecture, and Assistant Prefect of Jian'an Prefecture.

When the country descended into chaos and refugees rose up everywhere, he was unable to take up his post as the Prefect of Jian'an. Instead, he was retained by Li Zitong, Du Fuwei, Fu Gongshi, and others, who appointed him to official positions.
He later strongly urged Du Fuwei to return to the Tang Dynasty and join the court. When Fu Gongshi rebelled, he was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. After the rebellion was quelled, he was exiled to Jingzhou until Li Shimin came to power and, recognizing his talent, summoned him back to the court.

Li Jing is now the Governor of Daizhou and the Duke of Yongkang County, as well as the Commander-in-Chief in the campaign against Liang Shidu.

Li Baiyao had been demoted several times, slandered repeatedly, and even lost his life, but now things have finally turned around for him.

The two edicts were quickly drafted.

Li Baiyao handed the document to two vice ministers, but both vice ministers had it reviewed by Yuwen Shiji, the Grand Secretary.

“Li Xiannan truly lives up to his reputation as a talented scholar; not a single word of these two edicts needs to be changed.” Yuwen Shiji nodded.

He picked up his pen,
The edict was inscribed with the words "Central Secretariat Minister Yuwen Shiji Xuan".

Liu Linfu and Yan Sigu also picked up their pens. Liu Linfu, the Vice Minister of the Secretariat, and Yan Sigu, the Vice Minister of the Secretariat, both wrote this.

At last,
Li Baiyao also picked up his brush and wrote on the back: "Li Baiyao, Imperial Secretary."

"Send the imperial edict to the Secretariat."

The words "Menxia" at the beginning of this edict mean that the Central Secretariat drafted the edict in the emperor's name and sent it to the Secretariat for review.

Since the appointment of the two as prime ministers had already been approved by the prime ministers in the Hall of State Affairs, this was just a formality and there was no need to worry about the provincial capitals rejecting the appointment.

The imperial edict ordered them to be sent away.

Yan Sigu and Liu Linfu then took the opportunity to tell everyone about their impending departure.

Yan Sigu was promoted to the rank of Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, while Liu Linfu was effectively demoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

One was happy, the other was sad.

Yuwen Shiji smiled and said, "Tell the canteen chefs to roast a whole lamb. Our Secretariat should give you two a proper send-off."

As they were talking and laughing,

A eunuch came in.

"Duke of Ying, His Majesty's decree." Yuwen Shiji straightened his clothes and listened respectfully to the imperial edict.

The emperor's verbal order was quite simple: he instructed the Secretariat to draft another edict.

"Li Yi, the Grand Minister of Works and Prince of Dai, was appointed as the Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, while his positions as Governor of Yongzhou, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, General of the Left Guard, and Minister of War remained unchanged."

The officials in the central and provincial government were all puzzled as to what was going on.

"Li Situ is the Attendant-in-Ordinary of the Secretariat, so what's the deal with him being the Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery?" Yuwen Shiji asked.

The eunuch said, "Minister Li accidentally fell from his horse and injured his leg. He resigned his post as chancellor to His Majesty, but His Majesty tried to persuade him to stay repeatedly without success, and finally granted his request to resign from his position as Attendant-in-Ordinary."

However, the emperor's illness had slightly improved, and he was summoned to the Secretariat and Chancellery every two or three days to serve as Chancellor.

"Then what about the Chancellor?"

“Li Situ will remain the prime minister, just as Wei Xiang previously entered the government with the title of participating in government affairs.”

Now everyone understands.

Li Yi resigned from his position as Attendant-in-Ordinary due to a leg injury, but the emperor still retained his title of Chancellor and even allowed him to attend political discussions at the Hall of State Affairs every two or three days once his leg injury had healed slightly.

Originally, the heads of the three provinces were the prime ministers.

Now, Wei Zheng entered the Council of State Affairs as prime minister with the title of participating in government affairs, and now Li Yi has entered the Council of State Affairs with the title of co-champion of the Secretariat and the Chancellery.

The current emperor,

They've started acting less and less according to the rules.

However, Yuwen Shiji did not object.

"Lord Li, I will trouble you again to issue another imperial edict!"

“Alright.” Li Baiyao didn’t refuse and immediately picked up his brush and dipped it in ink.

"Disciple:
Only when people act as laborers and transform things can wealth be generated by the head of state, and those who assist him be his right-hand men. Moreover, the decrees of the state are based on the Inner Historian, and the crucial decisions of the government are carefully considered by the Yellow Pivot.

Therefore, I have been sent to all corners of the country to ensure the smooth progress of all undertakings. I must seek those of the same virtue to assist me.

Li Yi, who held the titles of Grand Minister of Works, Grand Master of the Palace, Attendant-in-Ordinary, Governor of Yongzhou, Minister of War, Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, General of the Left Guard, and Pillar of the State, possessed exceptional talent and was able to revitalize the legacy of his predecessors. He adhered to propriety and music, and was humble and dignified. He remained honest even in seclusion, and his authority grew stronger in officialdom. His writings were elegant and refined, and his official conduct was exemplary…
I, the Emperor, humbly receive your boundless blessings, yet I fear the weight of this responsibility. In my dwelling place I am subject to the divine's wrath, and in my position of supreme authority over countless beings, I constantly dread that my wisdom may not illuminate the hidden, and my foresight may not reach the far-reaching…
He may serve as Chancellor, and if his illness has slightly improved, he may visit the Chancellor's office every two or three days, and his title will remain unchanged.

Yuwen Shiji nodded in approval upon seeing the imperial edict.

"Not a single word needs to be changed." After saying this, he picked up his brush and wrote the decree of Yuwen Shiji, the Grand Secretary.

The two vice ministers and Li Baiyao also signed their names.

"How did Minister Li fall from his horse? How badly is he injured?" Yuwen Shiji asked the eunuch in charge of the Secretariat to deliver the imperial edict to the Chancellery, while pulling the eunuch aside to ask him carefully.

"I heard that Li Situ was riding the Qinghai Dragon Steed, a gift from Tuyuhun Khan Fuyun. Unexpectedly, the horse was fierce and threw Li Situ off the horse, injuring him."

The Qinghai Dragon Steed is a famous horse.

The Book of Wei records that Qinghai is over a thousand li in circumference. There is a small mountain in the sea. Every winter after the ice freezes, fine mares are placed on this mountain. When they are collected the following spring, all the mares are pregnant. The foals born are called dragon gods and are sure to be many extraordinary and fine horses.

The Tuyuhun people once obtained Persian grass horses and released them into Qinghai. As a result, a foal was born that could travel a thousand miles a day, and this is known as the Qinghai foal.

The Tuyuhun have repeatedly harassed and invaded the border in recent years.

Now the imperial court has ordered the Turks and Western Qiang to attack Tuyuhun. Khan Fuyun has suffered several defeats and wants to seek peace again. He even wants to ask for a marriage for his son.

When the Tuyuhun delegation arrived in the capital, they not only presented the emperor with Qinghai horses, jade, gold, and other valuables, but also gave Li Yi a Qinghai horse.

As a result, Li Yi rode this horse to the morning court session, but fell off and broke his leg.

Some say that Tuyuhun did this intentionally, hoping to use the wild horses to murder the emperor and Li Situ.

Generals like Cheng Yaojin clamored to send troops to attack Tuyuhun, capture Fu Yun, and bring him back to Chang'an to be punished!
Yuwen Shiji felt that Cheng Yaojin and his fellows were being unreasonable. How could the Tuyuhun people have such audacity or such a scheme?

Moreover, to think that a few Qinghai horses could be used to murder the Tang emperor and the Grand Minister of Works is wishful thinking.

These military generals,

They just wanted to find an excuse to fight and gain merit.

With Liang Shidu about to be destroyed, the world unified, and there no more battles to fight, and the horses ready to graze and the weapons stored away, these guys are already plotting something.

As he pondered this, he even began to wonder if Li Yi had truly broken his leg. After all, while Li Yi wasn't some invincible warrior, he was still a victorious general who had led troops in numerous campaigns over many years.
It's highly unlikely that Li Yi rode a horse to court and ended up being thrown off and breaking his leg.

Did Li Yi deliberately stage a fall to resign from his position as Attendant-in-Ordinary?

Or perhaps Li Yi is creating a pretext to launch an attack on Tuyuhun?
"Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi" (同中书门下平章事), huh, Your Majesty really knows how to invent.

Li Yi was truly favored by the emperor. Even though he resigned from his position as Attendant-in-Ordinary, he remained the prime minister and continued to serve in the Hall of State Affairs.

The Council of State Affairs has undergone a major reorganization this time.
Now, the Left Minister is Fang Xuanling, the Right Minister is Du Ruhui, the Chancellor is Yuwen Shiji and Wen Yanbo, the Attendants-in-Ordinary are Wang Gui and Pei Ju, in addition to the Minister of Works and Chancellor Li Yi, and the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat and the Assistant Minister of State Wei Zheng.

Eight prime ministers.

But Li Yi was the one with the most transcendent status.

Liu Linfu suggested that after everyone finished their shifts, they should all go and visit Li Situ.

"Go together, go together."

From Yuwen Shiji, the Grand Secretary, to Li Baiyao and Liu Shiche, the Secretariat Attendants, and even Cui Dunli, the Secretariat Translator, all expressed their desire to visit Prime Minister Li.

“Then let’s chip in and buy a few gifts to express our gratitude,” Yuwen Shiji instructed Cui Dunli.

(End of this chapter)