Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 253 Before the Eastern Expedition, the Emperor's Secret Order (Part )
November 1st, Zhenguan Hall.

All officials gathered and the emperor held a grand court.

Li Shimin, dressed in a scarlet and yellow dragon robe, sat calmly on the imperial couch. All the ministers knelt in obeisance: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to you. May your Majesty live a long and healthy life."

The emperor raised his hand slightly, and the eunuch on the side of him immediately stepped forward and shouted loudly: "Xing!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" The ministers bowed again, then stood up and stood in line holding their tablets.

The emperor glanced at his ministers, finally glancing at Li Chengqian, and then turned to the Imperial Court Assistant Minister and Vice Minister Liu Li and said, "Mr. Liu!"

"Yes!" Liu Li bowed, walked out of the train, and then quickly walked to the upper left position of the ministers.

Zhang Ananda came down from above carrying a tray and stood beside Liu Li. Liu Li took the imperial edict, then turned to the ministers and said loudly, "The emperor has issued an order."

"We obey your order." All the ministers knelt on the ground.

Liu Li held up the imperial edict and said loudly: "In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, in the year of Guimao, on the first day of the third month, on the day of Yisi, the emperor said:

Yu Xi!

The great benevolence of heaven and earth brings heavy frost in autumn.

The sages and philosophers were so benevolent that they included armor and weapons in the criminal code.

The eternal supervision of the past is under my personal responsibility.

I have Tang in Guangdong, and was born with a spiritual destiny.

Combining the three talents to establish the extreme, uniting the six to form a home, bringing peace to those far and near, all is harmonious, work is accomplished and the country is stable, and this is where it is.

The Goryeo clowns were confused and disrespectful. They gathered in Bojie and lived a life of idleness in the territory of Liao. Although the Han and Wei dynasties punished them, their nests were temporarily destroyed... They invaded western Liao, robbed the country of its treasures, cut off communication, abused the innocent, blocked the roads, and refused to accept the king's invitation.

If I don't serve my king, how can I be a minister?
If this can be tolerated, what cannot be tolerated?

Moreover, the laws are harsh, the taxes are onerous and heavy, powerful ministers and nobles all hold the reins of state power, every household is starving, wars never cease, forced labor is endless, people are exhausted from transporting the food, and their bodies end up in ditches.

The people are suffering, who can help them?

Therefore, the person who was hanged was questioned for his crime without waiting for the emperor to come again.

So he personally led the six armies and used Shen Jiu to attack, saving the country from danger and complying with the will of heaven.

I personally led the army and served as its governor. I crossed the Liao River to the east, followed the right side of the sea, rescued the people who were hanging upside down, and inquired about their sufferings.

Heaven punishes sinners, and the original cause lies with the culprit. Many people are perverse and coerce others into following the path of justice. If Gao Yuan had turned his back on the gate and surrendered to the Sikou, he would have been untied and his coffin burned, and his kindness extended to him.

If you join forces with evil and resist the heavenly soldiers, you will be crushed into powder immediately under heaven's punishment.

Make it clear and explain it to me.

Admire this! "

Liu Li's expression was stern when he spoke the last part.

After he finished speaking, all the ministers bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the destiny of the Tang Dynasty is upon you. Under attack, nothing can stand in the way."

"Stand up." The emperor raised his hand slightly, and all the ministers stood up immediately.

……

Li Chengqian stood up straight and breathed a sigh of relief. They had invaded western Liaoning, cut off all traffic, blocked the roads, and made the people miserable, so they hanged people to punish them.

Punishing the people and punishing the criminals has been the most commonly used reason for war in history.

The emperor sat on the imperial couch, looked at his ministers, and said, "To eliminate these evildoers and inherit the advice of our ancestors, we should now grant them the order and start the march, and assign them the orders to follow.

Therefore, Yan Lide, the governor of Guangzhou, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Pyongyang Road and was granted the title of General of the Zhenjun Army. He led more than 40,000 soldiers and horses from the four states of Jiang, Huai, Ling and Xia, and 500 warships, and crossed the sea from Laizhou to attack Beisha City.

Li Ji, the Minister of War and the Crown Prince's Left Guard, was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Liaodong Road Army, commanding 60,000 infantry and cavalry, as well as troops from the various border states, to advance on Liaodong.

Guangzhou Governor Yan Lide was not in Luoyang at the moment.

Minister of War Li Ji immediately stood up, knelt on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "I obey your order. May your majesty's military fortune prosper, and may the military fortune of the Tang Dynasty prosper."

Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction, and then continued, "Appoint Li Daozon, the King of Jiangxia and Minister of Rites, as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Liaodong Road Army.

Zhang Shigui, Duke of Guo and General of the Imperial Guard, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the march; Su Dingfang, General of the Left Golden Guard, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the vanguard army.

Zhang Junyi, Duke of Wancheng, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the army; Cao Qin, the General of the Left Guard, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the vanguard army.

The Duke of Anguo and the General of the Right Guard, Zhishisili, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the march; the General of the Right Guard, Qibi Heli, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the vanguard army.

Ashina Mishe, the Right General of the Imperial Guard, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the army, and Heng Zhixi, the Right General of the Imperial Guard, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the front army.

The Duke of Jincheng, General of the Left Guard, Qu Zhisheng, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the march; the Duke of Yun, General of the Left Thousand Oxen Guard, Yin Yuan, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the vanguard army..."

Every time the emperor read out a name, a general would immediately stand up and receive the order.

Li Chengqian stood on the steps and listened to everyone's name calmly.

Li Daozon, Zhang Shigui, and Zhishisili are the main forces in the army, while others are either transporting food and fodder or providing cover and support.

Cavalry from various ethnic groups, including the Turks, Dangxiangs, Mohes, etc., were all mobilized to join the battle.

Li Chengqian paid particular attention to Su Dingfang.

Su Dingfang was gradually given important positions during the reign of Li Zhi.

Now with the sudden collapse of Hou Junji and Zhang Liang, the emperor has begun to pay attention to Su Dingfang.

Su Dingfang is very capable, and of course, the stronger the ability, the better.

Not to mention, there is also Xue Rengui who will show up later.

……

Looking at the generals kneeling on the ground, the emperor smiled and said, "My lords, please stand up. This time, we are going to conquer Goguryeo and mobilize many people. All of you are as brave as jackals and leopards, and you are heroes who will win every battle.

You are the king's pioneers. When you look back, the mountains collapse; when you shout, the wind and clouds rise. I and you share the same heart and virtue, and you are our minions."

All the generals kowtowed and said, "We are willing to stand with Your Majesty, sharing the same heart and virtue, and we are your followers."

"Stand up." The emperor raised his hand, and the generals returned to their ranks.

Li Shimin looked at his ministers and continued, "I will lead the Central Army in this Eastern Expedition, with Minister of the Interior Changsun Wuji as the Commander-in-Chief and General Niu Jinda of the Left Guard as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief.

The Secretary of the Central Secretariat Cen Wenben and the Imperial Household Secretary Liu Li served as military advisors.

Li Daliang, the Minister of Works, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the cavalry.

The Junior Architect Yan Liben, the Minister of the Imperial Guards Jiang Xingben, and the Junior Supervisor of the Ministry of Finance Qiu Xingyan built the bridge for passage back and forth.

Tang Jian, the Minister of Revenue, was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Army, and Ashina Zhong was appointed as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Army, in charge of all matters related to the transportation of grain and fodder."

Zhangsun Wuji, Cen Benwen, Liu Li, Li Daliang, Niu Jinda, Tang Jian, Yan Liben, Jiang Xingben, Qiu Xingyan and others all stood up and knelt down to receive the order.

The emperor waved his hand, and the ministers immediately stood up and returned to their ranks.

From then on, the emperor counted all the important ministers and generals who were going to conquer Goguryeo, and commanded 60,000 infantry and 43,000 naval forces to attack Liaodong together.

Li Chengqian was even more astute to note that of the six ministers, four of them—the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Works—had joined the war effort. Furthermore, Zhangsun Wuji, as Minister of the Interior, was in charge of the Ministry of the Secretariat. Together with the Minister of the Secretariat Cen Wenben and the Minister of the Imperial Household Liu Li, he had the authority to issue imperial decrees in Liaodong and govern the country in the name of the three ministries.

In addition, the emperor has the most elite soldiers in the world, as well as foreign servants. With these troops at hand, as long as there is a continuous supply of food and grass, no matter how chaotic the world is, he can pacify it.

Another thing is the matter of Chang'an.

……

The emperor's gaze fell on Li Chengqian and he said calmly, "Prince!"

Li Chengqian immediately stood up, kowtowed in the hall and said, "Your son is here!"

Li Shimin raised his head, looked at his ministers and said, "The Crown Prince has grown up and is very wise. After I go on the Eastern Expedition, I will appoint him as Regent."

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed.

The emperor continued, "Sikong, the acting minister of the Left, Fang Xuanling, will be the governor of Chang'an. Duke of E, Yuchi Jingde, will be the general of the Left Guard and deputy governor of Chang'an. He will assist the crown prince in governing the country."

Fang Xuanling and Yuchi Jingde stood up at the same time and knelt behind Li Chengqian.

It can be seen that the emperor has already discussed this with them.

"Appoint Gongqiu Xinggong of Tianshui County as the governor of Luozhou and the garrison commander of Luoyang." Li Shimin looked solemnly at the generals.

Qiu Xinggong immediately stood up, bowed, knelt on the ground, and took the order seriously.

Li Chengqian, who was standing in front of Qiu Xinggong, was a little surprised, but finally relieved.

There are countless civil and military officials in the court who are loyal to the emperor, but there is only one person like Qiu Xinggong who eats the heart of a traitor raw.

"Transfer Xue Dading, the chief officer of Luozhou, to be the governor of Jizhou; transfer Xiao Jun, the prince's secretary, to be the chief officer of Luozhou." The emperor's words surprised all the ministers.

When the emperor appointed Prince Jin's father-in-law, Zhao Zhongjian, a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue, as Sima of Luozhou, the ministers felt something was wrong. The emperor wanted to use Prince Jin to sit in Luoyang, but in the blink of an eye, Prince Jin was driven to Taiyuan.

Now, the emperor appointed Xiao Jun, the Prince's Secretary, as the Chief Clerk of Luozhou, and now everything is balanced.

Luozhou has always regarded the emperor as the governor of Luozhou. When there is no governor, the chief secretary of Luozhou is a third-rank official who governs Luozhou, which is equivalent to the governor of Luozhou.

But now, the emperor directly appointed Qiu Xinggong as the governor of Luozhou and the garrison commander of Luoyang, so the position of the chief secretary of Luozhou immediately lowered and could only be the fourth rank at most.

Compared with the Sima of Luozhou, who was a fourth-rank official, he was only slightly higher.

In this way, it makes sense that the Prince's Secretary, who is of the fifth rank, was transferred to the Chief Clerk of Luozhou, who is of the fourth rank.

At the same time, while the Crown Prince and the Prince of Jin were marching deep into Luoyang, Qiu Xinggong, who was absolutely loyal to the emperor, was used to suppress all conflicts and thus integrate all forces.

The power of Chang'an and Taiyuan was basically integrated, so there would be no Yang Xuangan Rebellion in the early Sui Dynasty.

The emperor's balancing act is truly unparalleled in the world.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Fortunately, he adjusted his strategy in advance. Otherwise, if he really wanted to do something while the emperor was on the eastern expedition, he would be the only one in trouble.

……

The emperor sat on the imperial couch and said calmly, "The empire is marching eastward, and supervision is even more important. Therefore, I have requested the Left Assistant, and have appointed Xiao Yu, the Jinzi Guanglu Dafu, Special Advancement, Governor of Qizhou, and Duke of Song, to be in charge of the Yuanjun Army. He is loyal and steadfast, and is highly skilled in the art of governance. He is worthy of being the Shizhong."

The emperor said this and all the ministers looked up in surprise. Xiao Yu had actually been appointed as prime minister again. The position of Shizhong, which Hou Junji had been fighting for for a long time, finally fell into Xiao Yu's hands.

Duke Song Xiao Yu, with a simple, even somewhat harsh, face, stood up, knelt on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I obey your command. Long live Your Majesty."

"Stand up, everyone." The emperor waved his hand, and Li Chengqian, Fang Xuanling, Yuchi Jingde, Qiu Xinggong, Xue Dading, Xiao Jun, and Xiao Yu all stood up.

Li Shimin looked at Gao Shilian, one of the ministers, and said, "The position of the Prime Minister is to oversee all government departments. My uncle is the Shangshu You Pushe, assisting Prime Minister Fang in governing the country."

"Yes!" Gao Shilian immediately stood up and said, "I obey your command."

"Duke Ande." The emperor looked at Yang Shidao, the Minister of the Central Secretariat.

Yang Shidao immediately stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty!"

"You are in charge of supervising the Ministry of Personnel, so you will have to work harder on everything." Li Shimin looked at Yang Shidao and nodded.

"I obey your order." Yang Shidao bowed seriously.

"The other ministers who stayed behind in Chang'an Road have also worked hard." The emperor glanced at each of them and said with a smile, "The Ministry of Personnel will commend them in order."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers who stayed behind subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief at this time.

The emperor's expression calmed down. He looked at his ministers and said, "This attack on Goguryeo is due to its own rebellion. Gai Suwen murdered its king, murdered its ministers, and oppressed its people. Now, they have disobeyed my edict and invaded and oppressed neighboring countries. If we can conquer them now, the northeast will be peaceful, and the whole country will be at peace. We must do it."

All the ministers bowed and said, "We will obey your majesty's command. Your majesty is a man of great military virtue and will surely defeat the enemy and return victorious."

Li Shimin nodded slightly and said, "Three days later, we will offer sacrifices to Mount Song and the Luo River, pay homage to the heavens, the earth, the mountains and the rivers, and then we will set out to fight."

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed.

……

On the side of Qianyang Palace, Li Chengqian walked quickly towards Zhenguan Palace.

The setting sun shines and the palace lanterns begin to light up.

In the Zhenguan Hall, shadows were still moving.

Li Chengqian walked into the hall. Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling and others were standing in front of the sand table, whispering something to the emperor.

After offering sacrifices to Mount Song and Luo River tomorrow, the emperor will set off.

But many things are still not arranged properly.

Or to be more precise, things are never completely arranged.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Li Shimin turned around, saw Li Chengqian, then looked at the ministers, waved his hand slightly and said: "Let's stop here today, and we can talk about the rest on the way."

"Yes!" The ministers bowed and then left.

After the ministers had left, the emperor walked to the palace gate, looked outside, and said, "Prince, what do you think is the most important thing in the world after my eastern expedition?"

Li Chengqian didn't know why the emperor asked this. After a moment's thought, he spoke carefully, "I think it's food and fodder."

"Food and grass?" Li Shimin was a little surprised to hear this answer. He turned sideways to look at Li Chengqian and gestured, "Tell me about it."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to request an order that during next year's autumn harvest, we purchase grain in Jiangnan at a price 10% higher than the market price, then transport it to Hebei and sell it at a price 10% lower than the market price in Hebei."

Li Shimin was slightly stunned and said, "You want... tell me in detail!"

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed and said, "Father, every autumn, Jiangnan has a good harvest. The price of grain there drops by 20% to 30%. There are even unscrupulous merchants who continue to drive down the price. Therefore, I want to purchase grain at a price 10% higher than the market price to ensure stability in Jiangnan."

"continue."

"In Hebei, because of the war, grain prices are bound to rise. So after this batch of grain is shipped to Hebei, we can sell it to the people at a price 10% lower than the market price. Then the people of Hebei can also have peace."

Li Chengqian paused for a moment and said, "There's still quite a bit of profit from the inflow and outflow, enough to offset the transportation and labor costs. And most importantly, there's no need to use the Changping Warehouse."

"Changping Warehouse." The emperor nodded and pondered. Suddenly, he looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Are you worried that someone will tamper with the Changping Warehouse?"

(End of this chapter)