Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Set the Three States to Stable the Western Regions and Set the World, Avoiding Fengchan

Hou Junji stayed at home after being dismissed, and his resentment could not be dispelled.He thought every day that he led the army to conquer Gaochang this time, and the country was flattened in one fell swoop, and the credit is the first.Unexpectedly, because he took some treasures, he was accused by the emperor and sent to prison. He was released only after Wei Zheng's advice, and finally lost the position of minister.After thinking about it, he felt that Li Shimin had treated him unfairly, and the anger in his heart was getting bigger and bigger. He remembered the scene when he followed Li Shimin to pacify the world.

He remembered the great contribution he had made to Li Shimin during the Xuanwumen Incident. He remembered that he went deep into the sandy moraine to pursue Fu Yun, he remembered the scene where he swung his troops to block the Tubo soldiers alone, and the battle of Gaochang that he had just experienced. Looking at the country, how many people can die for Li Shimin like myself? Hou Junji was arrogant by nature, when he thought of these past events, he felt that Li Shimin's rewards and punishments were unfair, so he ruined his future, so his resentment turned into hatred. In those days, Hou Junji hid in his house and did not go out. He threw lamps and objects in the hall and was very angry. If the servants made a slight mistake, he personally beat him with a leather whip, so that they would not dare to get close to him.

After Hou Junji's power fell, the formerly busy mansion suddenly became less crowded, and it was difficult for anyone to come into the mansion to chat with him.Hou Junji not only hated Li Shimin, but also scolded the world for being too snobbish.On this day, a rare visitor came to his mansion, that is, Shi Danai, a close friend on the battlefield from the past.When Hou Junji heard about his visit, he was overjoyed and rushed out of the mansion to welcome him. Shi Danai was appointed as the governor of the Dingxiang Dudu Mansion at the beginning, and he stayed in this position for many years.As a Turk himself, he got along very well with the Turkic tribes under his rule.He also obeyed Li Shimin's will, loyally guarded the frontier, and organized his administration in an orderly manner. Every year, the Ministry of Officials evaluates his performance, and his comments are all top-notch.He has been in office for many years, he is diligent and extremely busy, and he rarely returns to Beijing.When he returned to Beijing this time, when he learned that Hou Junji had been convicted for private reasons, he was moved with compassion and chose to bring some gifts to visit him.

Seeing that Shi Danai was still carrying presents, Hou Junji sighed, "Da Nai, when I was down, I was very grateful that you could come to visit me. You brought so many gifts, which made me feel even more uncomfortable .” Shi Danai brought furs and other things produced by the plug.Shi Danai replied: "In the bitter cold, there are only these humble things, why bother? I rarely go to Beijing, and I only bring these things to the gate of the house. I don't feel respect in my heart. Why are you so serious?" Hou Junji welcomed Shi Danai into the middle hall and sat down. Shi Danai looked around at the furnishings in his hall, saw that his furniture, pendants, utensils and other items were exquisite, he wanted to praise him, but also thought that he was convicted of stealing treasures this time, so it is very inappropriate to praise him at this time, So he kept silent.Therefore, he brought the topic to the scenery of the Fortress, and Hou Junji also found it fresh.

Shi Danai talked about the horse dance drama that had just emerged in Fortress. The people in the frontier use horses as companions, and some people choose some excellent horses for training, and gradually practice horse dance.During the performance, the dancing horses are dressed in five-color silk clothes, and the golden saddles are equipped with lin heads and phoenix wings.Next to it, several young and beautiful musicians, wearing colorful clothes, holding musical instruments, began to play music.When the music sounds, the dancing horse will hold its head up and its tail up, and dance with the rhythm.They poised their heads and raised their mane, raised their toes and raised their tails, and their abnormal movements were all in the middle of the rhythm.In the end, these horses all held wine glasses in their mouths, lying down and getting up again, as if toasting the viewers.

After hearing this, Hou Junji was slightly moved, and said with a smile: "Da Nai, we are used to fighting and killing on horseback. Who would have thought that there would be such a boring person taming a horse like this. I really want a horse to toast people." It’s impossible for these beasts to have such abilities.” Shi Danai nodded and said: "Horses have spirituality, so they can follow people's wishes. Junji, I will return to the fortress in the future. If you are interested, you can go and watch with me." This is what Shi Danai said With good intentions, seeing that Hou Junji was idle at home, he deliberately asked him to go out to relax.

This sentence aroused Hou Junji's infinite thoughts, he sighed softly, and said: "Da Nai, I was just released from prison before you returned to Beijing, the emperor is very suspicious of me now, he can allow me to walk around indiscriminately ?" "It's okay, I will have an audience with the emperor tomorrow, and then I will plead with him in person." "That's all, Da Nai, I thank you for your kindness. It's an eventful time now, so don't worry about it." The two were relatively silent. Hou Junji closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then opened his eyes and looked at Shi Danai steadfastly, and said tentatively: "Da Nai, I remember that when we followed the emperor into Chang'an, the emperor's subordinates were only tens of thousands. "

Shi Danai nodded. "At that time, we were brave and made great contributions to the emperor. Afterwards, I often think that it seems extremely difficult to obtain the world, but with our experience, the affairs of the world are also easy." Shi Danai didn't understand why Hou Junji said such words, he was usually very kind, and his mind was not as agile as Hou Junji's, so he continued: "The emperor assists Gao Zu to win the world, there is a definite number." Hou Junji laughed and said: "Da Nai, your loyalty to the emperor is paramount. But what about him treating me? I have gone through untold hardships to pacify Gaochang, but in the end I ended up being laid off and laid off."

Shi Danai was not easy to answer, and felt that Li Shimin's treatment of Hou Junji was a bit too much. Hou Junji looked directly at Shi Danai, and said, "Da Nai, I heard that you have 50,000 elite soldiers under your command, can you lend me this soldier? Or, we can achieve great things together." Shi Danai understood what Hou Junji meant, and it turned out that he had already developed a rebellion in his heart!He was terrified, but he didn't dare to show any abnormal expressions on his face. He laughed out loud and said, "Haha, Junji, you have always loved to lead troops. How many elite soldiers and powerful generals have you led before? Do you care about fifty thousand remnants? Right now there is no war on the frontier, so there is no place for you to use your force. Heroes come out of troubled times, and now it is a peaceful and prosperous age, just save yourself."

Hou Junji saw that Shi Danai refused to go along with him, so he squeezed out some embarrassing smiles, and said, "Look at you being so stingy, you retreat to a corner whenever I mention borrowing troops. Da Nai, I'm just joking with you." .With my current situation, it will be difficult to lead troops in the future. For the rest of the day, I also want to learn from Li Yaoshi and write about the art of war at home, so as to be arty." Shi Danai said sternly: "Okay, writing about the art of war is the best. A person's life is busy for only a few decades, and if he can write military books to the posterity, he should be immortal. It's a pity that I don't have your strategy, nor your literary talent, so I have no choice but to write about the art of war." I'm here to envy you."

Hou Junji laughed a few times. So far, the two have nothing to say because they have their own concerns.Shi Danai asked Hou Junji about the recent situation of Cheng Yaojin, Duan Zhixuan and others. Hou Junji hadn't contacted them for a long time, and he didn't have much to say.Seeing this scene, Shi Danai bowed his hands and said goodbye. One day later, Shi Danai entered the palace to meet Li Shimin. The two monarchs and ministers hadn't seen each other for many days, and they were very affectionate after meeting. Li Shimin even held Shi Danai's hand to ask the cold and warm.Shi Danai reported the situation under his rule in detail, and Li Shimin listened with gusto, and did not realize that more than an hour had passed. Shi Danai bowed to say goodbye, suddenly remembered the conversation with Hou Junji, wanted to report to Li Shimin, but felt unable to speak, so he hesitated to speak. Li Shimin looked at his hesitation, and said in surprise: "Da Nai, you have always been straightforward, what words are hidden in your heart and difficult to say?" Shi Danai asked Ai Ai: "Your Majesty, when I came to Beijing this time, I remembered my friendship with Hou Junji, so I made a special trip to visit Hou Junji's mansion. He is at home, and I just want to express our old feelings." "Isn't this a bad thing? You are very affectionate, and it's a virtue not to forget old feelings." "During the conversation with him, Ranchen felt that he only remembered his own merits and didn't think about his faults, and felt a little resentful towards the emperor." "This is also very normal. Junji has made countless contributions. This time, he took treasures privately in Gaochang and disrupted military discipline. I punished him for this. He was a little confused, which is natural. I asked him to think about his mistakes at home, not to let him always Stay at home, after a period of time, depending on his repentance, I will still let him come out to do things." Seeing that Li Shimin treated his subjects so generously, Shi Danai was deeply moved, so he decided to report Hou Junji's intention to rebel to Li Shimin. Li Shimin frowned when he heard Hou Junji's intention to rebel, he felt uncomfortable, and sighed: "I never imagined that Hou Junji would be so narrow-minded!" "That's right, Junji doesn't think of the emperor's kindness, doesn't regret his mistakes, but acts recklessly. It's too wrong. I reported this matter to the emperor today, just want to remind the emperor." "Well, there are very few of my courtiers like Junji. Da Nai, there are still many loyal courtiers like you! Forget it, Da Nai, you don't need to mention this matter to others. Both you and Junji As meritorious officials, when the two of you said this, no one else was around, if I asked him, Junji would definitely not admit it, I understand your loyalty, but the matter ends here." Shi Danai didn't expect such a big thing, Li Shimin put it aside lightly, only then did he realize that the emperor has a bigger heart than ordinary people.He bowed and resigned, and then consciously or unconsciously paid attention to Li Shimin's behavior towards Hou Junji.In the following time, Li Shimin did not treat Hou Junji differently, it could be said that everything was calm. Li Shimin really didn't take Hou Junji's disagreement to heart. After Shi Danai left, Li Shimin sent someone to send Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Li Jing, Ma Zhou, Chu Suiliang, Li Shi and others to come to discuss the matter. Li Shimin called them because he remembered how to deal with Gao Changguo. Li Shimin waited for everyone to sit down, and said: "It has been several months since Gaochang was pacified, and now my army is still guarding there, it is time for them to withdraw. I summoned all the ministers to discuss matters today, just to hear everyone How to deal with Gao Chang's opinion." Since the reign of Zhenguan, the Tang Dynasty first pacified the Eastern Turks, and adopted the method of respecting their tribal customs and allowing them to govern themselves. In order to strengthen the central control, they established Jimi Prefecture in the area under their jurisdiction; after that, Li Shimin still let Fu Yun The descendants of King Tuyuhun, which is similar to the vassal state of Tang Dynasty. Wei Zheng was in favor of adopting the method of Tuyuhun against Gaochang. He first said: "Gaochang is too far away from the capital, and I thought that we could use the method of subjugating Tuyuhun. Qu Zhisheng, the son of Qu Wentai, was made the king of Gaochang, and he continued to rule Gaochang. vassal state." All the ministers thought that this method was feasible, and nodded their heads one after another. Li Shimin smiled and said: "Wei Qing, if Qu Zhisheng is established as the king of Gaochang, he will definitely submit to our country in the early days, but after a long time, he will block traffic like his father Qu Wentai and turn against our country. What should we do?" The ministers discerned the flavor of his voice and felt very profound. Li Shimin asked Li Jing: "Brother Yao, how do you think we should deal with it?" Li Jing understood that Li Shimin was obviously unwilling to establish Qu Zhisheng as the king of Gaochang, but Gaochang was too far away from the capital, and the imperial court sent officials to manage the subjects there, which was a waste of money and food.In addition, the situation in the Western Regions is complicated, and it is necessary to send troops to garrison there, so it will take a lot of energy.Thinking of this, Li Jing replied: "I think Gaochang is a small country, but it is the throat of the Western Regions, and I must deal with it properly. If there is another disaster, then this expedition will be meaningless." This statement is somewhat ambiguous. Ma Zhou stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I thought that Gaochang was already the land of Han, and making Qu Zhisheng the king of the land is a bit of an itch." "An itch? Ma Qing, you can speak carefully." Ma Zhou's words were obviously in line with Li Shimin's wishes and aroused his interest. "Gaochang was the fiefdom of the former king of Cheshi in the Han Dynasty, and the hometown of Wuji Xiaowei in the Later Han Dynasty. Today's Jiaohe City is the capital of the former king of Cheshi; Tiandi City is the guard city of Wuji Xiaowei. From this point of view, as far back as the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and others had already discovered that if they wanted to manage the Western Regions, they had to have such a foothold. The current situation is that the forces of our country and the Western Turks are ebbing and flowing in the Western Regions. If our army retreats to the interior, The Western Turks are sure to make a comeback. According to my minister's wishes, our government must set up officials and troops in Gaochang, so that border troubles can be eliminated forever." This sentence touched Li Shimin's heart. He has been thinking about Gaochang these days. He once thought about making the Qu clan king according to Tuyuhun's example, but he was worried about the future, so he moved his mind to set up a state and county here.After Ma Zhou finished speaking, he praised: "Well, Ma Qing's theory is in line with my thoughts. Gaochang has always been the land of our country, and it cannot be separated for a long time. If we set up prefectures and counties from now on, and then send troops to station, we can avoid this distress. .” Seeing Li Shimin's attitude, the officials all lowered their heads and thought silently.The scene was silent for a while, Wei Zheng got up and objected: "Your Majesty, I think it is inappropriate to set up prefectures and counties in Gaochang." "What's wrong?" Li Shimin didn't expect that Wei Zheng would continue to object. "Your Majesty first came to the world, and Qu Wentai came to pay homage. After that, he blocked traffic and disrespected our country's imperial emissary, so our army conscripted. Now that Gaochang is flat, Qu Wentai is dead, and this western expedition has completed its mission. carry on." "According to what Qing said, our army should retreat and return the Gaochang Kingdom to the descendants of the Qu clan? However, Wei Qing, Hou Junji went to Gaochang with only tens of thousands of people, but he was able to destroy it within ten days. Why? The Qu Dynasty poisoned the people and imposed tyranny. I remember a nursery rhyme, Tang Qing, if you can remember it, you can recite it for all the ministers." "The soldiers and horses of Gaochang are like frost and snow, and the soldiers and horses of the Han family are like the sun and the moon. The sun and the moon shine on the frost and snow, and they will disappear when they look back." Tang Jian recited this nursery rhyme word by word after recalling it a little. "Wei Qing, listen to this nursery rhyme. Before our army arrives, the people of Gaochang have already said this. It can be seen that Qu's tyranny has ruined the hearts of the people. If I make Qu's king again, the people of Gaochang will be deeply disappointed. I I dare not say how virtuous my dynasty is, but I am lenient towards the people after all, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is returned by popular expectations. In this way, I do not want to restore the Qu family as the king of Gaochang." Wei Zheng shook his head, and said in homage: "The people of Gaochang love the Tang Dynasty and hate the Qu family. This is a conclusion, and I also think so. The so-called crusade against the people, the mighty virtue is put outside, and they are good people for the country. That's why I said It is inappropriate to set up a prefecture or county in Gaochang for the following reasons: If Gaochang becomes a prefecture or county in our country from now on, more than a thousand people will often be required to guard it. These people are sent from the interior to Gaochang, and they will be changed every few years. The road is dangerous and difficult, and they cannot all return. Sending out clothing and parting with relatives cost a lot of money. If things go on like this, Your Majesty will not be able to obtain a foot of cloth from Gaochang to help China. The rescue is not in time, and it is very easy to overturn. Setting up prefectures and counties in Gaochang, I thought it would be detrimental to China, but it was really worthless." Li Shimin usually obeys Wei Zhengyan, but today he really can't stand it.The root cause is actually Li Shimin's ambition to plot the Western Regions.He shook his head and said, "Wei Qing's words are a bit pedantic. If I keep being humble and split China's land into fragments, and my original intention is not to waste money and food, and keep the land in the Central Plains without thinking about expanding, wouldn't I become a land rich man? Emperor Wu of the Han went all out with military force and exhausted the power of the country, so I don’t want to take anything; but when the country becomes strong, it becomes soft and gentle, even ignoring a homeland like Gaochang, and I don’t want to.” "Your Majesty has always been committed to domestic tranquility. Are you going to change your original intention today?" "I am committed to domestic tranquility, but I don't just seek passive tranquility! For example, the Western Turks are stronger than the Western Regions. If we occupy Gaochang, we can block the Western Turks from encroaching on the east and ensure domestic tranquility. If the Ko family is restored as the king of Gaochang , out of selfish desires or being oppressed by the Western Turks, and joining hands with the Western Turks like Qu Wentai, there will be chaos in the country. Wei Qing, I don’t think you want to see such a situation, do you?” Monarchs and ministers are trying to convince each other here.However, on this matter, they all insisted on their own opinions and refused to back down. Seeing that the two of them insisted on their opinions, Fang Xuanling got up and persuaded: "Grand Master Wei, you don't want to waste money and food, it's not wrong. But now that the national treasury is full, the money and food spent by more than a thousand soldiers guarding the border is really worthless. The emperor's It means that we want to occupy the passages of the Western Regions, so that our country can advance and retreat in the Western Regions, and it can be defended. Compared with the cost of money and food, this is a big deal after all." Seeing that Fang Xuanling didn't agree with him, Wei Zheng obviously agreed with Li Shimin's proposition, he was even more anxious, and said: "You all want to occupy more land, hmph, one day, when Gaochang becomes tasteless, it will be too late for you to regret it." Li Shimin saw Wei Zheng arguing fiercely with his gray beard upturned, and thought to himself, his stubborn temper is old and fierce, and it seems that he will not change until his death.Thinking of this, he cast his gaze around the officials, and it seemed that they agreed with him and Wei Zheng equally, so he smiled and said: "Wei Qing, whether Gaochang can become a chicken rib depends on the power of our country. If the power of the country is strong, there is no If anyone dares to take Gaochang's idea, Gaochang will become an outpost to communicate with the Western Regions; if the country is weak, Gaochang may not even be able to succeed, and most of it will be occupied by other countries. Don't worry, I will not be greedy for other people's homeland, but Gaochang is originally It is necessary to take the homeland of our country without hindrance. There is no need to talk about this matter." This is the emperor's decision, and Wei Zheng understands that it cannot be changed. Li Shimin went on to say: "Well, from now on, there will be no national title of Gaochang, and Xizhou can be placed on its land, and Tingzhou can be placed in Khan Futu City. Xizhou, Tingzhou and the former Yizhou are mutual You can firmly control the Western Regions. Xuanling, each state is set up like this, but this place is important, and there must be someone here to control the situation. You have always known people, can you recommend someone for me?" Fang Xuanling replied: "The positions of Xizhou, Tingzhou, and Yizhou are important. According to our country, we can stop the western Turkic Siyehu Khan from expanding to the east, and establish a frontier base for our country to further operate the Western Regions. In this way Look, to govern the three states must be based on the military, and also to control the people, and do a good job in farming. From this point of view, I think Li Daliang is more suitable." "Li Daliang has recently been stationed in Lingzhou. He wants to defend against Xue Yantuo's southward invasion in the north, and contact the Western Regions in the west. He has no way to escape." "If Li Daliang can't get away, there is a general under his command named Guo Xiaoke. This man has the style of Li Daliang, he is very strict in running the army, and he can be honest and caressing the imperial court, so he can be used." Li Shimin nodded and asked Li Jing, "Brother Yao, do you know this person?" "Your Majesty, this person has been following Da Liang, and I have only met him a few times. I heard from Da Liang that he is the leader of his subordinates who have talents." Li Shimin turned to Gao Shilian and said: "Guo Xiaoke? Well, Gao Qing, you can ask the Ministry of War to transfer this person back to Beijing, I want to see him. These three states are far away from the capital, and their future safety has a lot to do with the chief officer. I Don't be careless. Xuanling, if this person can be appointed, you can appoint him as the governor of Xizhou and control Tingzhou." Ma Zhou reported again: "Your Majesty, if these three states are set up, they can be integrated with the whole country in the future. However, the three states are all at the forefront, where the forces are intertwined, and some policies of restraint will be implemented there. For example, Ashina Buzhen To be an official in Beijing, it is impossible for all of his subordinates to enter the middle land, and they still have to live there. The minister believes that there must be a two-pronged approach in the Western Regions, not only prefectures and counties, but also prefectures and prefectures." Li Shimin pondered and said: "Yes, the Western Regions should have a policy of confinement, and it should be more expanded than other places. Tang Qing, how many prefectures and prefectures have been established in these years, I can't tell the number at the moment, can you write it down?" Tang Jian had a strong memory, got up and replied: "Your Majesty, I generally remember." "Well, explain it in detail." "In the north, there are 15 prefectures including Adezhou, Zhishi Prefecture, Sunong Prefecture, Bayan Prefecture, Ashina Prefecture, Sheli Prefecture, Shunzhou, Zhouzhou, Huazhou, Changzhou, Beining Prefecture, North Fuzhou, and Bei'an Prefecture. , under the jurisdiction of Yunzhong Dudufu, Dingxiang Dudufu, Xiazhou Dudufu, Yingzhou Dudufu, and Youzhou Dudufu." "This was set up in the fourth year of Zhenguan. I still remember it clearly. What about the others?" "In the southwestern Dangxiang area, there are sixteen prefectures, including Yi, Kuo, Lin, Ya, Cong, Tai, and Qiao, all of which are under the jurisdiction of the Governor's Mansion of Songzhou. "Qianzhong Road has 21 prefectures including Yizhou, Sizhou, Nanzhou, and Wuzhou. "There are fifteen Jimi prefectures in Jiannan Road and Lingnan Road. Including some small prefectures in Guannei Road, there are a total of 72 Jimi prefectures." Chu Suiliang congratulated and said: "Your Majesty, with the establishment of Xizhou, Tingzhou, and Yizhou, the territory of our country will reach the sea in the east, Yanqi in the west, Linyi in the south, and the desert in the north. There are all counties in between, and the east and west will reach 9,500. One hundred and ten miles, 1918 miles from north to south. These counties and counties, after a long time, will eventually become the territory of the Tang Dynasty, and the territory of our country can be doubled. Since the Qin Emperor unified China, the territory is as vast as it is today. For Sheng, it is really gratifying to congratulate.” Li Shimin was also very proud, he twirled his beard and smiled, groaning silently. Liu Jie didn't take Chu Suiliang's words seriously, and got up and said, "Your Majesty, I think that Dr. Chu's words are a bit of a feat, so I don't agree with them." Wei Zheng had something to say, but he was a little surprised to see Liu Ji took the lead, but his eyes showed admiration. Li Shimin admired Liu Jie's sharpness during this period of time, and motioned him to continue talking. Liu Ji said: "Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty unified the world. For more than 30 years, the army was strong and powerful, and it was popular for thousands of miles. However, once it was discarded, it would disappear. The reason is that Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty relied on his wealth and strength to drive the world to indulge his desires. , Exhausting all things and self-serving, very happy with great achievements, only seeking the false name of serving far away, not long-lasting the country. Since His Majesty took the throne, he has devoted himself to domestic tranquility, and adopted a strategy of moralizing the four barbarians. After more than ten years of gradual accumulation, there will be Today's situation. The submission of the barbarians is not the result of our country's power to suppress them, but the result of fearing them with the power of the country and transforming them with virtue. As Dr. Chu said just now, His Majesty will blindly expand the frontier from now on in order to gain the prestige of the world The name, I think it is not desirable." Chu Suiliang retorted: "Your Majesty, what I said just now is gratifying and congratulatory, and it is also a compliment to Your Majesty's virtue. What Dr. Liu said is somewhat out of context. I hope Your Majesty will understand it." Li Shimin waved his hand to stop them from arguing, and said: "I have heard Wei Qing say these words of Liu Qing many times, and I will always keep in mind that I will not fall into the situation of making great achievements and resorting to military affairs. Well, let's not talk about these, let's talk about the topic Since the establishment of Dingxiang Dudufu and Yunzhong Dudufu, it seems that the control of Jimi Prefecture has achieved great results. The good thing is that these Dudufu can not only reflect my will, but also properly make Jimi Prefecture self-government , the two return to one. The Western Regions are far more complicated than other places, and it is a little bit reluctant to control Jimi Prefecture in the name of the Governor. Twice as big, Xuanling, what do you think?" Fang Xuanling said: "If we set up a Protectorate in the Western Regions, we can not only fully consider the situation in the Western Regions, but also make decisions on the fly. I think it is feasible." "What do you think?" Li Shimin asked the ministers again. All the ministers agreed, and Wei Zheng no longer objected when he saw that the matter had come to an end. Ma Zhou said: "Your Majesty established the Protectorate's Mansion with the purpose of stabilizing the Western Regions. I believe that this name can be designated as the Protectorate's Mansion in Anxi." Li Shimin will play. A few days later, Guo Xiaoke went to Beijing to face the saint.Li Shimin talked with him several times and felt that this person was worthy of responsibility.Then Guo Xiaoke was appointed as the governor of Xizhou and controlled Tingzhou.He also set up Anxi Protectorate in Xizhou, and appointed Guo Xiaoke as Anxi Protector. Xizhou, Tingzhou, and Yizhou are Zhengzhou of Datang, which are not under the jurisdiction of Anxi Dufu.Guo Xiaoke served as the governor of Xizhou and the governor of Anxi in one person. Li Shimin's original intention was to use Xizhou as a base and gradually move the power of the Tang Dynasty westward, so as to bring the Western Regions under the rule of Jimi. Guo Xiaoke understood what the emperor meant, so he packed up and went west.When he arrived in Xizhou, he sent the brigade of the Tang army back to the country, leaving only 1,200 soldiers to guard.These 1,200 soldiers are exchanged every two years.During this period, the imperial court sent exiled prisoners every year as guards. The news spread that the imperial court established Xizhou, Tingzhou, Yizhou and Anxi Protectorate, and the government and the public were jubilant.Everyone thinks that in the ten years since Zhenguan, the world has been in great order, and the barbarians have been obedient. It is truly a peaceful and prosperous age, and the ordinary expression of embarrassment in celebration can only be manifested in the ceremony of enshrining Zen in Mount Tai.Therefore, some courtiers jointly signed a letter, publicly recommending Xiao Yu as a representative to request the emperor to hold the ceremony of enshrining Zen within this year. Xiao Yu reported to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty's achievements are so high and his virtues are so great that there is no such thing in ancient or modern times. For more than ten years in Zhenguan, the country has been stable, the year has been abundant, and the guests of the four barbarians have become more auspicious. From this point of view, it's time to hold the Zen Conferring Ceremony." Li Shimin asked the officials for their opinions. Wei Zheng was ill these few days, and Li Shimin allowed him to rest at home. Therefore, all the officials believed that the country is so rich that the ceremony of enshrining Zen should indeed be held, and no one objected. Li Shimin was full of ambition, and felt that it was a matter of course to hold the ceremony of enshrining Zen, so he decided to go to Mount Tai to enshrine Zen in the spring of next year, and ordered the Ministry of Rites and Taichang Temple to start preparations. When Shi Danai was ready to return to Dingxiang, Li Shimin summoned him into the palace and said, "Da Nai, I have asked Honglu Temple to issue seal letters to Xue Yantuo, Pugu, Tongluo, Tuyuhun and other monarchs, and let them Go to Lingzhou, where I want to meet them. You set off back to Dingxiang, just to be my forerunner. When we arrived on the grassland, we two, the monarch and the minister, galloped on horseback, fulfilling our old wish. This time I went north The tour is not just for traveling, so Wei Zheng and those admonishing ministers have nothing to say." Shi Danai was overjoyed, bowed his body and said: "I would like to obey the order and be your majesty's guide." Lingzhou is located in the northwest of Chang'an, where the Great Wall of Han Dynasty meets the river, and borders Shuofang in the northeast.Since this is a fortress to guard against the invasion of the northern nomadic tribes to the south, the imperial court stationed heavy troops here.After the previous battle with Xue Yantuo, Li Daliang initially defended Dingxiang, seeing that Xue Yantuo did not dare to make any changes, he led the army back to Lingzhou to garrison.The main purpose of Li Shimin's meeting with the leaders of the Mobei tribes in Lingzhou this time was to show comfort. Li Shimin asked Prince Li Chengqian to stay in Beijing to supervise the country, accompanied by only a few ministers Ma Zhou, Tang Jian, Chang He, and Shi Danai.The imperial battle set off from Chang'an, picked up and sent off to prefectures and counties along the way, and arrived at the boundary of Lingzhou within a day.Li Daliang led a large group of people and horses to wait here for several days. When he saw Luanjia coming, he kowtowed to the ground, and then got on his horse to protect Li Shimin.Li Shimin saw that both sides of the road were full of valiant soldiers in the carriage, and he wanted to blame Li Daliang for being so grand, and also thought that Yi Nan and others were waiting in Lingzhou, and they had to see such a pomp to show the majesty of a great country. just give up. Yi Nan, Nuo Hebo and others came out of Lingzhou City 30 miles away to meet them. Li Shimin stood on the chariot to accept their prostration, and then entered Lingzhou City together. Li Daliang had prepared a residence for Li Shimin in Lingzhou City, although the main hall is not as grand as the palaces in the two capitals, it is rare to have such a well-organized house in this border area.After entering the palace, Li Shimin washed himself a little before entering the main hall.Li Daliang has set up several banquet tables in the main hall for Li Shimin to give the banquet. Yi Nan and others entered the hall and delivered speeches to Li Shimin one by one. Yi Nan sang: "Tian Khan's power is added to the sea, so that all people admire. When I heard that Tian Khan came to Lingzhou, before I left, the subjects asked my ministers to respectfully Tian Khan went to visit the lower part to see the beauty of Tian Khan." When Yi Nan said this, his words were sincere, as if he had forgotten the battle with Tang Dynasty not long ago. Li Shimin praised: "I am very relieved that Zhenzhu Khan can say this. When I came to Lingzhou this time, I saw you just to miss you. But to you Zhenzhu Khan, I still have a few words to say." Say." "I listen to the hadith respectfully." Yi Nan became more and more respectful. "I think that China and barbarians are one, and I treat you like these courtiers." Li Shimin said, pointing at Tang Jian and others, and then continued, "The reason why I did this is to test the border troubles of the past dynasties. Allies live in harmony, relying on mutual understanding and mutual understanding, rather than using force to oppress others. If everyone wants to use force to force others, they will fight endlessly and never have peace. Zhenzhu Khan, do you understand this truth? ?” "Your Majesty understands, I understand. Your Majesty, the last time you made His Majesty angry, it was because of your rebellious son's audacity to send troops behind his back, which led to a misunderstanding." Yi Nan saw that it was impossible to mention the last battle, so he sent All the blame was placed on the eldest son, Dadushe. "Well, that's all for the misunderstanding. I don't want to blame you. When I treat the tribes of the four countries and the tribes, I don't think about an inch of land, and I don't want to get a piece of money or treasure. I just want to live in harmony. If you talk about strength, look at the world, who can Compared with Tang Dynasty? Last time your eldest son sent tens of thousands of troops to harass Li Simo, Li Shi only brought thousands of troops to drive him out of Monan. With my power, I can conquer from east to west and destroy countless countries. Don’t you want to become the overlord of the world? No! War requires manpower, and it’s not a blessing for the people of the world, so don’t do it. Zhenzhu Khan, I hope you will remember this festival in the future.” When Yi Nan heard this, the room was originally cool, and he was already sweating profusely from fright, and said repeatedly: "The minister obeys the order, the minister obeys the order." Li Shimin blamed him again: "One more thing is that people must be honest. You asked for peace, and I have already promised marriage, but your messenger didn't come, and I waited in vain. It can be seen that your proposal is not sincere." It turned out that Li Shimin regretted the marriage. , but now he puts the responsibility for the failure of the marriage on Yi Nan. Ma Zhou and others know the inside story, and feel a little funny, but they dare not say a word. Yi Nan was tongue-tied and wanted to argue, but he didn't dare. The Huihe Chief Bodhisattva insisted on letting Li Shimin go to Mobei for inspection.He said: "Since the completion of the 'Tiantian Khan Road', the people of the Bibu have been looking forward to the visit of the Tian Khan every day. Your Majesty has already arrived in Lingzhou, not far from the Bibu. I hope that your Majesty will definitely make the trip this time." Li Shimin smiled and said: "This time I came to Lingzhou, and I was able to meet with you, which is to satisfy my longing. Over the years in Kangning, I have the intention to go to Mount Tai to hold the ceremony of enshrining Zen. At that time, I will invite you to Mount Tai to watch the ceremony. Because I have no time to go north because I am busy with Feng Chan. There is still a lot of time in the future, and when I have free time, I will make a trip to Mobei." Yinan, Bodhisattva, Nuohebo and others heard that the Great Tang was about to hold a ceremony to enshrine Zen, and they all bowed to congratulate Li Shimin. Nuohebo came here and brought Princess Honghua with him.When Li Shimin saw the two of them, his expression was extraordinarily affectionate.He asked Princess Honghua to sit by his side and asked her about the details of her life in Tuyuhun. After the two exchanged a few words, the topic naturally came to Princess Wencheng.Li Shimin asked: "Daozong returned to Beijing and said that the marriage conferring team stayed in Tuyuhun for some days, and also said that during that time, you and Princess Wencheng were inseparable." Princess Honghua replied: "Sister Jinyan has been depressed since she left Beijing. I think it's because she is far away from her home country. My daughter also had this state of mind before, so I will explain it by myself." Li Shimin nodded and said: "Very good. You and Princess Wencheng married far away for the sake of national festivals. I sometimes think of you and feel depressed. Well, you are not too far away from Beijing, but Wencheng is hard to cross the mountain." .You are relatively close to each other, you two sisters should communicate more, don't be too lonely." "I would like to obey my father's imperial edict. Before my daughter left, she sent someone to Tubo to send a letter to Jinyan's younger sister. When she mentioned that she came to Lingzhou to meet her father, she wrote back and said that the journey is far away and cannot I am deeply sorry to come to see my father." "That's right, it's really too far from Tubo to Lingzhou." When Li Shimin said this, he suddenly fell silent, his eyes were blurred, and he didn't know what he was thinking. After the banquet on that day, Yinan, Bodhisattva, Nuohebo and others resigned one after another. Li Shimin had a good night's rest in the palace, woke up in the morning, and went out for morning exercises as usual.At that time, the morning sun had just brightened the sky, and the earth seemed silent.The breeze blows the long grass on the hills in the distance, showing the yellow color of the withered grass to the fullest, showing the extraordinary scenery of the fortress. Li Shimin swung his sword and danced once, his swordsmanship became more and more proficient, but his arms and legs lost the softness and ease of his youth, and seemed a little stiff.Since Li Shimin turned forty years old, he gradually discovered these changes in himself, and felt that the former mighty and flexible could no longer be reappeared, and Fang Wu realized that life was short and irreversible.After figuring this out, he doesn't insist on morning exercises like before, and only gets up for morning exercises when he is free or when he has enough sleep. These days, whenever Li Shimin left the room, Shi Danai, Li Daliani, and Chang He all accompanied him.When they saw that Li Shimin had finished his sword dance, they leaned forward and complimented him: "Your Majesty has the spirit of dragon and horse, and his kung fu has never failed." Li Shimin raised his hand and put the sword back into its sheath, then threw it to Chang He, shook his head and said, "I know that my sword skills are unfamiliar and my body is stiff, and I am no longer young. I came to practice in the morning today, but I just want to see around Lingzhou The scenery in the morning is just in accordance with the occasion. How can I not know that you have said some flattering words to please me?" The three were silent. Li Shimin raised his head to the east, and saw a red sun rising there, shining bright light on the earth, so he asked Shi Danai, "Da Nai, where is the grassland closest to Lingzhou?" Li Daliang answered first: "Your Majesty, there is a pasture in the east of Lingzhou." Shi Danai said: "There is indeed a grassland in the east of Lingzhou, but it is a bit small. If your majesty wants to ride on the grassland, you must find a large grassland. Going northwest from Lingzhou and crossing Helan Mountain, you will find a boundless grassland. The west is bordered by a large desert. I think that it is rare for His Majesty to make a tour of the north, so it is better to go to the pasture after climbing Helan Mountain." Li Daliang objected to Shi Danai's statement: "It will take several days to go back and forth to Helan Mountain. It is very unsafe outside of our frontier guards." This sentence aroused Li Shimin's pride, and said: "I am a khan of heaven, is my footprint limited to the middle land? I have made up my mind, we set off today to cross Helan Mountain to enjoy the scenery of the grassland there. You see, today is A bright and sunny day, the weather is good, it is the day to travel." 皇上此意已决，别人不敢再多说话，大家分头去准备行装。此去翻山越岭，又要到草原上驰骋，李世民自然不再乘车，而改乘马。李世民每每出行之时，手下人知其爱马和好围猎，便选出数匹良马随行。近些日子，李世民偏爱那匹从高昌搜寻来的良马，此马全身洁白如玉，唯鬃尾赤如朱砂，是一匹罕见的千里马，李世民为它取了一个奇怪的名字，称其为“飞白”，显然为其常习的书法名称。与其他皇帝相比，李世民随行队伍有一列专门的队伍，号为“百骑”。顾名思义，“百骑”即是由一百名才力骁健、善骑射者组成，他们皆服五色袍，乘骏马，以虎皮为鞯，在仪卫中显得非常特别。“百骑”的主要职责除了护卫皇帝外，就是在李世民围猎之时充为下手。 次日早膳之后，李世民跨上“飞白”马，李大亮、史大柰、常何乘马紧随其后，在“百骑”的簇拥下，百余人如旋风般向贺兰山刮去。 贺兰山主峰高耸云天，其余脉连绵数百里，如一道天然屏障横立在河水之北。多少年来，异族入侵中原，必须要越过此山再南下。所以，这里就成了兵家必争之地。每当中土强盛之时，朝廷要在这里驻扎重兵。现在也不例外，李大亮派兵三千扼守峰谷，成为大唐北境的第一道防线。 他们到达贺兰山北麓，李世民眼望北方那长草低伏的无边无际的草原，感叹道：“多少年来北患动辄侵扰中原，以致贺兰山成为一个势力消长的标志。当中土势衰之时，北方铁骑越过贺兰山，中土之人足迹难现此处；当中土势强之时，贺兰山成为中土之人驻扎之所，往往勾起文人雅士的激越之情，开口闭口即吟'马踏贺兰山阙'。” 常何接口道：“李将军如今驻扎贺兰山，足证我国正是势强之时。如此，陛下欲举办封禅大典，可谓名副其实。” 李世民笑道：“常何呀，看来你读书不多，毕竟受眼光所限。大亮驻扎在贺兰山，确实不错，然以此来说我国强盛，就失之简单。依你所言，朕之心力仅止于贺兰山吗？” 常何答道：“陛下威加四海，则普天之下，莫非王土。” “错了，常何，你还是错了。”李世民又转问史大柰道：“大柰，你原为突厥人，能识朕之心机吗？” 史大柰答道：“臣不通文墨，说不出什么道理。臣只知道，陛下待国人与外国之人无二致，所谓'滴水之恩，涌泉相报'，何况是陛下无边无际的洪恩。简言之，陛下待臣下好，臣下唯有尽忠尽职，以报陛下的洪恩。” 李世民点头道：“大柰词不达意，然大致就是这个意思。常何，眼前的这片土地，多少朝代有多少人在此浴血争夺，他们争夺的是土地吗？朕看未必！土地在这里默默无闻，因人方有生机，由此来看，争夺人方是浴血奋战的主旨。可是呀，你将对方打败，你将对方俘虏，对方慑于威势低眉顺从，然其内心呢？其内心服吗？肯定不服！多少年来，许多号称圣人智士者，他难以察识此节。” 李大亮接口道：“所以陛下以德化治人，不以强势压人，不谋求土地。” “大亮所言甚是。朕不筑长城以备北患，仅派少许边兵象征性地驻扎，盖为此也。只是如夷男之流难识朕的这片心机，朕不得不出兵镇之，如此就大失朕之本意。” 李世民想到这里，又无奈地摇摇头。诸部落尊自己为天可汗，又修“参天可汗道”到长安朝贡不已。然其内心里，到底是心悦诚服？还是因强势所逼？或者二者兼而有之？李世民不得而知。 李世民遥望山下，脸上忽然有些萧索之意。他微一凝神，这种萧索之态转瞬即逝，一紧马缰绳，招呼三人道：“走吧，我们下山去。” “飞白”率先冲下山，山脚下，即是平阔无垠的草地。正是深秋时节，草儿皆已枯黄，经历了秋风的劲扫，马蹄过处可以听到枯草的断裂声音。 李世民勒缰停马，回首问史大柰道：“大柰，这就是草原了？” “陛下，此为草原，若放马驰骋，可以无止无歇，直似汪洋中放舟的感觉。只是现在已入深秋，草儿枯黄，若是春天来此，满目皆绿，更为惬意。” “哈哈，大柰，朕为了你当初的一句话，萦绕心间二十年。今日来此，也不过如此嘛。” “若一味乘马在草原之上驰骋，时间长了不免单调。然臣自幼生长于草原之上，到了草原即是回到故乡，此番心境，陛下难以体会。” “是了，朕今日就陪同你一起返乡了，大柰，我们走吧，今日就由着你快活。” 一群马在荒原上急速而驰，马蹄过处，间或惊起一些野兔、野羊群奔。李世民见状大喜，呼史大柰道：“大柰，这里有物可猎，如何单调呢？” 于是，“百骑”拉开阵势，皆取出雕弓，开始纵跃围猎。 李世民这日一会儿纵马驰骋，一会儿纵情狩猎，猎获之物，皆为午餐和晚餐烧烤食品。他当皇帝多年，似这等完全与大自然融为一体的娱乐，还是头一遭儿。夕阳西下，常何遵旨在草原上张篷为舍，他们今晚要在此露营。 李大亮担心李世民的安全，不同意在此过夜。其时，李世民独自漫步到西面的高冈上，背手站立，眺望西方。 李大亮慢慢走到其身侧，轻声说出了自己的担心。 李世民不以为然，说道：“大亮，你不必担心。昔日征战之时，有多少危难关头，朕皆安之若素。朕问你，如今与那时相比，难道不安宁吗？” “如今四海康宁，四夷宾服，没有人敢打陛下的主意。” “是呀，如此就剩下野兽或者强盗的出没了。以我们的身手，等闲人及野兽能近身吗？” "cannot." “如此你就放下心来。朕今日到草原上尽兴一天，心境甚好。朕答应你，明日早晨，我们拔营返回灵州。” 李大亮听皇上如此说，只好唯唯答应。 李世民眺望西方，问道：“大亮，听说这草原西边与沙漠接壤？” "yes." “这里为何杳无人烟？” “游牧部落依水草而居，这里水源甚少，所以入秋以后，他们往往聚居在水美之处。从此向西，即为沙漠，那里漫天风沙，人们无法居住。” “由此来看，朕刚才所言，还是有些道理的。土地因人而兴，欲服人须服人心。否则空占土地，又有何用！” 其时夕阳如金，将草原上抹上了一层金黄，煞是好看。李大亮为一名有智有谋的武将，他能品味出李世民话中的深意。想起大唐如今盛势，又思身边这位睿智超卓的明君，他心中忽然一阵感动。他将崇敬的目光移到李世民的侧影上，只见日光在李世民的身上镀上了一层金辉，愈显神威。那一刻，李大亮被心中的崇敬所激荡，竟然有些呆了。 数日后，李世民返回京城。 一日，高士廉带领民部的水部郎中来见李世民，向其禀报近日河南及山东遭遇水灾的消息。 李世民很惊异，问道：“朕素知夏季多水，如今已是深秋之时，缘何河水又泛滥成灾呢？” 水部郎中答道：“入秋之后，渭水、泾水流域秋雨连绵，水量大增，使河水陡增，冲毁许多堤坝。恰在此时，河南、山东又连降秋雨，使百姓陷入水泽之中。天降灾异，原有的水利设施也无济于事。” 李世民让高士廉带领户部、民部人员，携带粮食、棉衣前往河南、山东赈灾。此时，大唐国库充实，对付这些灾害不用费许多力气。 高士廉辞去后，李世民独自在殿中发呆，自言自语道：“为何朕每次欲封禅之时，河南、山东之地就要闹水灾？” 贞观四年时，李世民听从群臣意见欲往泰山封禅，魏征不赞成此举，与李世民争辩甚烈。恰在此时，山东、河南闹水灾，此事也就作罢。 “莫非天降灾异以警示朕吗？”李世民向来不信祥瑞、灾异之说，但事情如此凑巧，让其疑窦丛生。 李世民想起此次草原驰骋之事，草原无边无际展开了去，天空浑如穹庐，人置身其中，何等渺小。人若想取得众人的尊敬，靠数次大典就能长留人心之中吗？李世民想到这里，心中有了决定，遂让人召李淳风、袁天纲等人。 这些人以为皇上欲问询筹备封禅的事，急忙将筹备的进度禀告给李世民。孰料李世民挥手打断他们的话，说道：“自今日始，停止筹办封禅大典。” 李淳风不明白何故，问道：“臣已算定了时辰，明年二月是封禅的好日子。此时筹备，还算从容，若再耽误一些时日，就有些仓促了。” 李世民摇摇头，悠悠说道：“朕治理天下，其功绩如何，不靠封禅来为身后留名，唯靠人心所向。众卿，朕意已决，朕今生今世，不再提封禅之事。”