Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen
When Wu Zizhang came to Jiaozhi, he saw Wang Bo's father, Wang Fuming, and learned that Wang Bo was blown into the water by the wind and drowned when he stood on the bow of the boat to enjoy the scenery while crossing the sea.Wu Zizhang paid homage to Wang Bo's soul, and set off to return to Hongzhou.Yan Boyun immediately went to Shu, playing Ming Wang Bo who went south to visit his relatives, and drowned to death while crossing the sea.I beg the second sage to read the grief of Wang Fumin's loss of his son and transfer him back to Chang'an.
Wu Zetian felt that Wang Fuzhen had suffered enough, so he approved Yan Boyun's memorial.In this way, Wang Fuzhen returned to serve in Kyoto again.The national history originally recorded by Xu Jingzong and others did not conform to the facts in many places, and the influence was very bad. The Ersheng ordered Liu Rengui and others to revise the national history and restore its original appearance.The new East Palace of Jiucheng Palace was completed, and Li Zhi and Wu Zetian held a banquet in the palace for officials of the fifth rank and above among relatives.The next day, Li Zhi contracted malaria and ordered Prince Hong to listen to the government in the Yanfu Hall of Jiucheng Palace.Li Hong was twenty-one years old, and his father was in poor health, so he should act as an agent of the government, but the power was still in the hands of Empress Wu.Li Zhi wanted to use this to curb Empress Wu's monopoly, but it was a pity that the prince's physical fitness was poor, his political accomplishment was insufficient, and he lacked practical experience.
In view of the lessons of He Lanmin's incident, Wu Zetian carefully selected the daughter of General Zuo Jinwu Pei Judao as the princess.After a year of engagement, in February of the fifth year of Xianheng, a wedding ceremony was held for Prince Hong in Taiji Palace.
The concubine Pei is a virtuous and elegant princess who serves the prince in formal attire and becomes a good helper for the sick and weak prince.
Wu Zetian relieved a heart disease, and began to think about the heir to the deceased father's title.Now she has to go to the Wu family to find someone.
Chengsi, Wu Yuanshuang's eldest son, was exiled in Zhenzhou because of his father's crime.One month after the prince's marriage, Wu Zetian summoned Chengsi to Chang'an.Standing in front of Wu Zetian, Wu Chengsi looked very cautious and a little nervous, he didn't even know where to put his hands.How to describe his mood at this moment?Gratitude, fear, kindness, gratitude?Anyway, he finally saw his own aunt and jumped out of the sea of suffering.As long as you learn from the lessons of your parents and follow my aunt's wishes, I believe that the wealth you get will not slip away again.
Wu Zetian kept looking at him, his eyebrows trembled, his thick lips grinned, showing a thick smile, he stretched out his hands to straighten his head, and tugged at the front of his clothes.After a while, he straightened his head again and pulled his skirt.Crow's feet were wrinkled around the corners of his eyes, and his thick hair was surrounded by a shiny circle.His eyes are deep and cautious, and he looks like a child who is waiting for the New Year's Eve money on New Year's Eve. He is eager to get it but can't open his mouth. His lips are pursed, his fat neck is shortened, and his eyelashes flutter up and down confusingly.In terms of the entire appearance and the distribution of wrinkles, it shows a weather-beaten appearance, and is old-fashioned, and will not act according to one's inclinations and emotions.The words that came out of his bearded mouth were carefully thought out. He had suffered a lot, had done rough work, had calluses on his palms, thick knuckles on his fingers, and wide and thick nails.After his father died, he became the head of the family, took on the burden of supporting the family, understood the difficulties of the world, learned some business principles, how to behave, and how to deal with various situations.
"Chengsi, how old are you?"
Empress Wu asked.
"It's almost forty years old," Wu Chengsi replied, "Oh, when you reach middle age, you can do nothing!" He shed two tears, and then turned from sadness to joy: "Thank you aunt for not forgetting my nephew, for being so kind De, what a reborn parent!"
"Family, why bother to be so polite."
After a pause, Empress Wu lengthened her tone, "Of course, it is human nature to repay a kindness. Chengsi, as long as you listen to Aijia's words and remain loyal, it will naturally benefit you." Well, I seem to have heard your father say that you love learning, you have read some books, you can write well, and you can write decently."
"Auntie, thank you. I'm ashamed to say that my nephew worked hard when he was young, but he gave up when he grew up. The word learning can only be said to be half-knowledgeable. It is my nephew's good luck to ask my aunt for advice."
"You are very good at talking, but I don't know if you can do things. In particular, the first thing you need to do is to be upright. This is the same as praying to a Bodhisattva. If you are upright, you will be spiritual. If you are not upright, you will not be effective. Oh, oh, let's talk about it. But also It doesn't matter, our aunt and nephew haven't seen each other for many years. People are in good spirits on happy occasions, so it's understandable to say a few more words."
"Auntie, please don't hesitate to enlighten me, nephew, I'm all ears."
"If you want to listen, I have to be free today, so I'll just say a few more words."
Wu Zetian picked up the tea bowl and blew it, drank two sips of tea, and moistened his throat: "Now the situation inside and outside the court is complicated, you have to think twice before doing everything, don't act rashly, and express your position indiscriminately. When you hear something or observe any movement, come to me in time. tell me."
"right."
"The above is the second point. Third, do more and talk less. You are very unfamiliar with court affairs, and you have to learn everything from the beginning. You should not be ashamed to ask, learn with an open mind, and learn honestly. Only after you have learned well can you make a difference. Do a good job, show your body and make a name for yourself, and honor your ancestors."
Wu Chenglan was very smart, he didn't want to and didn't dare to show his abilities in front of Empress Wu, and knocked her down.He had heard from his father that his aunt was a person of great personality, shrewd and strong, better than those learned Confucian officials, and better than the capable queens of all dynasties.And everything is up to her, whoever touches the hair will be unlucky.My late father suffered a loss, and it was too late to regret it. When he was dying, he warned him again and again: "Don't make the same mistake again!"
"The business started by my grandfather and my aunt will continue from generation to generation in our martial arts family, and it will continue to prosper and shine brightly."
"What I want is your sentence. It's well said. Then, it's up to you now."
Wu Zetian passed the appraisal, allowing Wu Chengsi to inherit the title of his grandfather, warrior Zhou Guogong, and take up the official position of Shangyi Fengyu. From the five ranks, he managed the emperor's daily diet, clothes, medicine, chariots and horses. One month later, he was promoted to Zong Zhengqing, Zheng Sanpin, is in charge of royal affairs.After getting married, Prince Hong, with Concubine Pei in charge of the internal affairs of the East Palace, Hao Chujun and others as assistants and counselors outside, as well as the support and compliments of Qing dignitaries, his mental state improved and his life was much more fulfilling than before.Li Zhi has always been weak and sick, and now he is plagued by many diseases. He often feels dizzy, restless, and almost loses self-confidence and the ability to control himself. Youzai Youzai, doing nothing.
However, there was one thing that kept haunting his mind, thinking twice about how to smoothly hand over the power to Prince Hong and let him inherit the Great Tang Dynasty.The tendency to formally appoint the prince regent became more and more obvious.Once Hong became regent, according to tradition, the era of Wu Zetian "listening behind the curtain" should naturally be over.
Although Wu Zetian is half a hundred years old, she is in good health and her natural charm has not declined.The radiant face, the graceful posture, and the skin is as thick as fat.To be more precise, her beauty is not only in her appearance, but more importantly in her style, so she has endured for a long time, and still retains the beauty of a young woman, like a cheetah, with broad shoulders and pelvis, but a thin waist. Publicity and unrestrained, high spirits.She was wearing a ochre-yellow robe with dragons and phoenixes, and the skirt was covered with jewels and jade, emerald and emerald, shining brightly like a star.The ornaments on the belt are extraordinarily exquisite, and the jade pendant is sonorous.There is also a head full of pearls and emeralds, all of which are beautiful.She was extremely well dressed, never sloppy, and always well-groomed.Her nature is to rule and conquer, and she has high expectations, and she wants to do great things for unprecedented things and achieve extraordinary achievements.Power is not relinquished until death.There have been fundamental differences in political stances between the prince and the queen mother.
Wu Zetian was very distressed by this in her heart. She was already burning with anger and hated the aristocratic conservative forces that prompted the prince to leave her.As for the treatment of the crown prince, there was not much change on the surface. As usual, small matters were entrusted to the crown prince and let him handle them, but the big power was firmly in his own hands.On August 15th in the fifth year of Xianheng, the yuan was changed to Shangyuan.Hao Mian world.At the same time, an imperial decree was issued: "Emperor Li Zhi is called the Emperor, and Empress Wu is called the Queen of Heaven."
Anyone with a discerning eye can tell at a glance that this is another alarm bell sounded by Wu Zetian to the conservative forces, warning them not to have unreasonable thoughts.She never retreats, and never hesitates to shrink back.
Wu Zetian likes to play with eagle words, changing the year name, changing the title of the emperor and empress, and changing the official name.She wants to turn this year into a year of reform, push the reform to a peak, and start a glorious era.Changed it again and again, changing this and that, and then she made some adjustments and changes to the court clothes of civil and military officials.For officials above the third rank, the purple robe is the same as before, but the belt is changed to "gold and jade belt".
The so-called "gold and jade belt" is to inlay jade on the gold bottom of the buckle. Jade is more precious than gold.Fourth and fifth ranks still wear scarlet color, while fourth ranks change to dark scarlet robes with gold belts, and fifth ranks change to light scarlet robes with golden belts.The sixth and seventh ranks are all green, the sixth rank is changed to dark green robes, and the seventh rank is changed to light green robes, all with silver belts.The eighth and ninth ranks are both cyan, the eighth rank is changed to dark cyan, and the ninth rank is changed to light cyan, with a brass belt.The common people are all yellow robes and iron belts, and those below the common people in business and miscellaneous households are not allowed to wear yellow civilian clothes.The emperor and queen of heaven held a court meeting in Linde Hall of Hanyuan Palace to review the new court clothes put on by officials at all levels.Of course, it also contains the meaning of celebration.At the same time, the imperial edict restored the official titles of Changsun Wuji and Changsun Sheng.He also granted Wuji's great-grandson Yi to inherit the title of Duke Zhao.Both the government and the opposition were shaken up and down, and the effect was quite good.
Wu Zetian is incredible, not only courageous, but also magnanimous, regardless of past suspicions.Her political tricks are indeed clever and ingenious.However, Prince Hong's determination to compete with his mother politically became stronger and stronger.There are people behind him planning for him, cheering him on, he is looking for opportunities.The prince occasionally got a piece of news that Princess Yiyang and Princess Xuancheng, born to Concubine Xiao Shu, have been imprisoned in a dark room like a "cell" in Yeting Palace since the death of their biological mother.Hong immediately took the eunuch to the place where the two princesses were imprisoned, and found that they were all alive.The court struggle is actually the epitome of political struggle, and its cruelty is even worse than the struggle for power and profit in the previous dynasty.The two innocent princesses have not seen the sun for nineteen years from the age of ten to now. I really don't know how they survived.Prince Hong—in anger, he came to his father and mother, and made offensive accusations.Tian Hou knew that Hong mainly came for her, and she knew she was wrong, and she was unwilling to form a direct confrontation with her son.She pursed her lips, and said as if she had realized something: "Thanks for your reminder, yes. I have only assisted your father in handling government affairs these years, and forgot about it. Hey, you are so careless, the emperor. Daughter, I don’t care about their life or death. Well, it’s not too late to make up for it, and since they’re still alive, everything is easy to talk about.”
The two princesses were released from confinement and married the two Custodians respectively.The older sister, Princess Yiyang, married Quan Yi, and the younger sister, Princess Xuancheng, married Wang Suigu.All four were overjoyed.The two princesses rejoiced that they finally saw the light of day again. Quan Yi and Wang Suigu both jumped from ordinary imperial guards to lieutenants-in-law, and served as local governors respectively.When Wang Suigu was governor of Yingzhou, he was upright and upright and had a good reputation.Tin Hau had a hard time these days, she was struggling, she seemed to be on the defensive, the conservative forces pushed Prince Hong out, they were eyeing her, they might launch an attack on her at any time and start a struggle for power.She has few capable assistants, and the Beimen scholars can only help her write articles, write books, or create public opinion, wave the flag and cheer for her.Since the first year of Fengde, in the past ten years, Empress Wu has personally supervised the revision. The books written by them include: "Xuan Amaranthus" one hundred volumes, "Ancient and Modern Nei Fan" one hundred volumes, "Qing Palace Minutes" three Ten volumes, "Weicheng Canon" twenty volumes, "Fenglou New Commandments" twenty volumes, "Shaoyang Zhengfan" thirty volumes, "filial piety" twenty volumes, twenty volumes, "Inner Rail Essentials" "Twenty volumes of "Yue Shu Yao Lu", five volumes of "Bai Liao Xin Commandments", five volumes of "Zhaoren Benye", two volumes of "Chen Gui" and "Chui Gong Ji" and "Quanlun Ji" Waiting to write.
Among them, the book "Guides of Ministers" discusses and explains the way of being a minister, diligently governing and loving the people, and serving the country with loyalty.It and the book "Emperor Fan" written by Li Shimin are collectively called "Emperor Fan Chen Gui".The main characters of Beimen Bachelor are: author Lang Yuan Wanqing, Zuo Shi Liu Yizhi, Wei Jingye, Fan Lubing, Zhou Enmao and so on.They can be called great scholars in terms of knowledge, but they don't have enough political experience. Most of the important seats in the court are occupied by Qing officials, which is an ominous sign.
Wu Zetian must do everything possible to curb the sweeping momentum of the noble conservative forces.Now there is no capable general around, and his nephew Wu Chengsi has just been promoted, so he can't help him yet.She was in a dilemma, thinking about it: first of all, she had to change the environment, break the current order, and re-establish a good atmosphere for reform and progress.
Wu Zetian insisted on moving the court to Luoyang.For her, Luoyang is an ideal place for political struggle.In order to stabilize the situation and win the hearts of the people, the shrewd Wu Zetian put forward twelve political propositions in a memorial to the emperor: 1. Persuade farmers to mulberry and reduce corvee taxes.Two: exempt the fields in remote areas in the northwest.3. Stop fighting and moralize the world.Forty-eight provinces labor costs and hard labor.May 8 reduced military service.Sixth, open up the way of speaking, the speaker is not guilty.7. Dismiss the treacherous and sycophant ministers.8. From the princes and ministers down, you must learn from Lao Tzu.9. When the father dies at the mother's death, the son serves the mother for three years.To show equality between men and women.10. Retired officials shall retain their titles and titles.11. Those who are above the eighth rank of Beijing official will benefit from standard entry and increase their salary.12. Those who have been an official for a long time and still occupy a lower position should be examined, and the book will be considered for promotion.Article 12 issued an imperial edict in the name of the Emperor, effective immediately.
Wu Zetian's actions are tantamount to political reforms. They are all in line with the purpose of benevolent government, sympathetic to the people's sentiments, and in line with the current disadvantages.Civil and military officials, common people, everyone is virtuous, and everyone is grateful. In the heyday of the autocratic monarchy, it can be said that a political monument has been erected, which has epoch-making significance.The new era started with the grand-sounding New Deal, but it was not satisfactory.Not long after the issuance of the Twelve Articles, Zhang Junche, the secretary of Zuoquan County, Shanxi, Jizhou, joined the army, accusing Jiang Wang Yun, the governor of the prefecture, and his son Wang Wei of Runan County, of conspiracy.The imperial court immediately sent Xue Zhongzhen, a general manager, to Jizhou to investigate.Li Yun is a big fat man, fatter than a fat pig, the older he gets, the more greedy he is, and he spends all day soaking in shochu.He squinted his small swollen eyes and just ate, ate, gobbled it up, and fell asleep when he was full, with a sound like thunder.
As soon as the "thunder" breathed, the person woke up, and ate again after waking up.Eating during the day and eating at night, it seems that Lord Yan sent him to the world to collect food, an out-and-out "toilet".As early as twenty-two years ago, in the third year of Yonghui, when he was the governor of Anzhou, he wanted to recruit the people's fat and descendants, doing extravagant and extravagant things.Officials from prefectures and counties jointly reported to the court that because Li Zhi came to the throne not long ago, and because he was a half-brother among Taizong Li Shimin's fourteen sons, Yun was the seventh and Zhi the ninth.This kind of lazy man who is addicted to eating and drinking does not necessarily have something to do with rebellion. It is unavoidable to talk, complain, get emotional and talk nonsense when he is drunk.He got carried away while speaking, but when the "angel" arrived, he was frightened, had a nervous breakdown, and hanged himself to death.A few years ago, Li Yuan's fifteenth son, Guo Wangfeng, died of illness at the age of fifty-two.He suffered from stomach problems for a long time, which was called "diaphragmatic tuberculosis" in ancient times. Contrary to Jiang Wangyun, he couldn't eat, and his stomach hurts after eating.After the new year, the Tang Dynasty established the Vaisha Governor's Mansion in the Kingdom of Yuyi, divided it into ten prefectures, and appointed Yuchi King Yuchi Fujaxiong as the governor of Vaisha.After Koryo was pacified, King Kim Famin of Silla not only accepted the rebels of Koryo, but also occupied the homeland in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula of the Baekje Kingdom and sent troops to garrison it.The Tang Dynasty was very angry and issued an imperial edict to cut off all the official titles of Jin Famin.Appoint Zuo concubine, Liu Rengui, the third grade under Tongzhongshumen, as the general manager of Jilin Road, Wei Weiqing Li Bi, and right leader general Li Jinxing as deputy chief managers, leading the army to crusade against Silla.Jin Famin's younger brother, Jin Renwen, served as General Youxiaowei in the capital and was granted the title of Duke of Linhai County.The imperial court changed Jin Renwen to be the king of Silla, and ordered the Eastern Expeditionary Army to escort him back home.Liu Rengui fought against Silla, and he won the battle of Jicheng on the Korean Peninsula in the Qicheng City.He also ordered the Jilai Tribal Army to take a boat across the Japanese Sea to the south of Jilin to attack the southern area of Silla, beheading and capturing many soldiers.After Liu Renguo withdrew, the imperial court appointed Li Jinxing as the ambassador of Andong Township, stationed troops in Xiaomai City of Silla, and passed through the area, winning three battles and three victories.King Jin Famin of Silla sent envoys to Luoyang to apologize and present tribute.Following Tianhou's twelve suggestions and avoiding war as much as possible, the imperial court pardoned Jin Famin's crimes, restored his official title, and warned the envoys to tell Jin Famin that he must submit to the Tang Dynasty, or he would perish himself.The sun turned purple-brown and looked dim.Li Zhi thought this bizarre natural phenomenon was an ominous omen, so he grimaced, complained about himself, and caused vertigo, and planned to formally let the Queen of Heaven be regent.The emperor is weak and sick, and he is called the emperor and empress to listen to the government. In fact, he is in name only, and he does not want to play the role of "puppet emperor" anymore.Hao Chujun, the servant of Zhongshu and the third rank of Tong Zhongshu's family, insisted on traditional Confucianism, and objected: "Since ancient times, men have ruled outside and women have ruled inside. The emperor rules the world, and the queen manages the harem. This is a matter of course. The emperor sits in the court, The queen listens to the government behind the curtain, which has never been heard of since ancient times, and it is obviously against the law of heaven."
"I'm physically weak and sick, and I can't live without the Queen of Heaven."
"Your Majesty's dragon body is not in good condition, why not let the prince regent, or pass the throne to the prince?"
"Well, well, but I still have to think twice."
The emperor's words came to his lips and turned back.He hesitated, and he didn't have the courage to speak his mind.Zhongshu servant Li Yiyan was so anxious that he was sweating, the veins on his forehead were erect, and he played in a hoarse voice: "The emperor acts on behalf of the heavens. The heavens hang down the elephants to warn, and the heavens and humans respond. The sage should obey the wishes of the heavens and accept the wishes of the ministers." Yan, the prince is regent."
"In the past, Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi made a decree," Hao Chujun further emphasized, "Even if the emperor is young, the queen mother is not allowed to attend the court. The purpose is nothing more than to stop the root of the disaster."
"Hao Chujun's words are faithful, Your Majesty should listen to them."
Li Yiyan and Hao Waijun's words were like a saw-saw, you come to one piece, I go to one piece, one partner and one block, reasonable and restrained.Li Zhi held his head in his hands, moaned and said, "I have a terrible headache now, you all need to step back first."
The indecisive Li Zhi was still undecided and didn't know what to do.He never announced that the prince would preside over the state affairs, nor did he announce that the "Queen of Heaven would be regent".Therefore, political power is still in the hands of the Queen of Heaven.Ambiguous words and procrastination are old problems that Li Zhi cannot change, and they are also the Achilles heel of his governance.Into the summer, the weather is getting hotter, the sun is back to normal, the emperor was relieved.He is calm by nature, and always feels that he is more comfortable when he is quiet. Under the torment of chronic illness, his personality has slowly worn away unknowingly, and he has become seemingly kind and peaceful, but this is a kind of kindness that is close to ignorance.At this time, Princess Changle often came to the palace to visit the emperor.Li Zhi was plagued by illness, and felt lonely and empty in the pain. He was happy to meet and chat with his relatives.Princess Changle is about the same age as Li Zhi, and she has a good relationship since childhood. She is the youngest daughter of Gaozu Li Yuan, that is, the nineteenth daughter, a generation older than Li Zhi, and Li Zhi should call her his aunt.After growing up, Princess Changle married Zuo Qianniu General Zhao Huan as his wife, and their daughter married Zhou Wangzhe as the princess.In this way, the emperor and the empress became in-laws again.
Zhao Huan was released as the governor of Dingzhou, but Princess Changle stayed in Luoyang, enjoying her unfettered life.The situation at that time was like this, most of the princes left the palace when they were in their teens, and set up another palace.If he is not a legitimate son or is particularly favored, he is usually sent to the local area to serve as the governor or governor.The treatment of princesses is different. Before they get married, they live in the inner palace, served by maids and eunuchs, stretch their hands for clothes, open their mouths for meals, makeup, grooming, pedicures, and nails are all taken care of by others.There is only one thing I have to do, that is, to read some books, learn some poetry, poetry, calligraphy and painting, as long as I know how to decorate my appearance so as not to insult my status as a princess.After getting married, she still does not work hard, does not know the grain, has no common sense of life, and does not understand society.If the captain consort is sent to be an official in a local area, the princesses will generally not follow him to the post, and will continue to live alone in the capital.Since Princess Changle was close to Li Zhi on two levels, they had a good relationship, so she often went to visit Li Zhi with her daughter Zhou Princess Zhao. .As the saying goes, the patient is anxious.Li Zhi was restrained by Wu Zetian and couldn't stretch his will, so it was inevitable that he would say some discouraged words, and sometimes he would say a few words of complaint and grief.Princess Changle's mother and daughter also spoke strange things about Wu Zetian because of their presumptuousness.Who would have known that their irresponsible homely words caused a catastrophe.
After Wu Zetian collected this situation from the all-pervasive intelligence network, she was uncharacteristically unwilling to forgive such an ignorant and talkative woman who had nothing to do after eating and doing.She suddenly labeled Zhou Princess Zhao as "unfilial" and "offending", abolished the princess, and put her in the prison of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.He also moved Zhao Huan to the left to be the governor of Kuozhou, and ordered Princess Changle to go to Kuozhou with her husband, and was not allowed to return to Beijing for life.Since Concubine Zhao was imprisoned for a crime, of course she had to take care of herself and cook for herself.But she couldn't even start a fire, and there was no smoke for several days in a row.The eunuch in charge opened the door and saw that Concubine Zhao had starved to death, and still had some unswallowed raw rice and vegetable leaves in her mouth.Prince Hong felt that his mother had gone too far. Because of a few harsh words, he put his daughter-in-law to death and quarreled with her face to face.
"Presumptuous!" Empress Wu glared, "What do you know? Who told her to starve to death? If you have rice and don't cook it over a fire, you deserve it!"
"Why didn't you send someone to bring her food?" Prince Hong did not show weakness.
"Don't forget your manners, you bastard, how dare you teach me more than etiquette!" In the feudal society of ancient China, etiquette was strictly regulated and paid special attention to.In the emperor's house, etiquette is even more important, and it cannot be sloppy at all.
Wu Zetian wanted to use this to suppress the prince's anger and repel his aggressive questioning.Hong, however, was self-righteous, argued hard, and retorted: "My ministers are not out of courtesy. The twelve political propositions are clear and open to the public, and ordinary people can freely state their opinions. The speaker is not guilty."
"Are you expressing your own opinion? This is an excuse to attack maliciously. Hong'er, your motives are impure!"
"The queen mother is serious."
"It is precisely because you are my own son that I have to wake you up. You want to use all means to seize power, and you will never end well!" Wu Zetian pierced Prince Hong's inner world right to the point, and Prince Hong felt embarrassed. His nerves couldn't bear such a heavy blow, he was so angry that his eyes were dizzy, his ears were buzzing, and his head seemed to be splitting open.He finally understood that he was not the mother's opponent, but it was too late, the gap between mother and child had not been filled, and he couldn't help being very annoyed and shed tears.The Emperor wanted to be a peacemaker, to reconcile the relationship between their mother and son, and asked Tianhou to have dinner with Prince Hong at the Qiyun Hall of Hebi Palace.Prince Hong felt very uncomfortable when he woke up in the morning, his chest was tight, his whole body was numb, his feet were as hard as stones, and he didn't want to eat this dinner.After waking up from the afternoon nap, I took another breath and felt better.He wanted to go, but he didn't want to go, and he hesitated in his heart, but he finally went.The Crown Princess Pei's one is out of courtesy, and the other is that she is afraid that the emperor and empress will be offended, so it is not easy to stop her.After dinner, just as the banquet was being removed, Prince Hong suddenly became hoarse, his lips turned black, bloody white froth flowed from the corners of his mouth, and his whole body twitched violently.When the imperial doctor arrived, he had stopped breathing.During his lifetime, the prince had many abnormal reactions, sometimes irritable, sometimes hyperactive, his mental state was very unstable, his daily life was abnormal, and his appetite was poor.After marriage, my limbs were sore and weak, and there was blood in my urine.
But in any case, the prince was too young, not yet twenty-four years old, and his death was so sudden that it must arouse people's suspicion. Did Empress Wu put poison in the food?A guess is always a guess.Proceeding from the facts, making inferences objectively and calmly, Wu Zetian, who is characterized by stability and stability, may seem crazy and risky at certain times, but that is just a phenomenon.If she is blindly reckless, insane, blind and reckless, it is absolutely impossible to be foolproof.Zhuge Liang, who has been cautious all his life, also played an empty city strategy once.The current situation is that Empress Wu is in an active state. She has differences of opinion with the prince, but it does not pose any threat or danger, so there is no need to be so urgent.What's more, would Li Zhi be so stupid as to be ignorant and so weak that he would be indifferent to poisoning the future prince he entrusted to him in front of his husband?And because medicine was not well developed at that time, the causes of many sudden acute illness deaths were not scientifically found out, leaving only a kind of regret and an eternal mystery.Prince Hong died suddenly, and Concubine Pei cried so hard that she fell ill.They were married for a year and two months, but they didn't have children. I don't know why?Adding sadness to Li's treatment of illness is like adding insult to injury, and his heart is completely chilled.The next day, he announced his abdication to the ministers.
Wu Zetian's new policy called for "moralization of the world". He only knew the facts, but didn't know what "morality" is. What's the use of staying on the illusory throne of the Son of Heaven?what sense?Minister Hao Chujun waited for a long time to think that it was impossible, so Li Zhi had no choice but to give up and temporarily gave up the idea of abdicating.Compared with Li Zhi who was sad and sighing, Wu Zetian's expression was always quite serious and stable.In the name of the Emperor and Empress, she announced the abolition of the court for three days, but she buried her head in the memorial and sat in the inner hall all day to review the memorial.The death of Prince Hong disrupted the life order of the Emperor and Queen of Heaven. They stopped their summer vacation and returned to Luoyang Palace from Hebi Palace.
Li Zhi issued an edict and said: "I was about to give up the throne to the crown prince, but he suddenly fell ill and died. We should reiterate the previous intention and give him a noble title, and he can be given a posthumous title of filial piety to the emperor."
And buried with the emperor's ceremony, but the national funeral was shortened to thirty-seven days, and the sacrifice before the spiritual throne was still in accordance with the emperor's etiquette.Luozhou Chailai Mountain was renamed Taiping Mountain, and built a mausoleum to honor Emperor Li Hong, and the mausoleum was called Gongling Mausoleum.The emperor's mausoleum is usually planned and built when the emperor is in power, which is called Shouling.The Gongling Mausoleum was built after the death of a person, and it was completed before the deadline of the Mid-Autumn Festival. It was more urgent than fighting a fire, and more tense than being on the battlefield.Under the urging of the supervisors with whips, the common people in corvee dig tomb passages, passages, front chambers, mysterious chambers, rear foundation chambers, brick passages, etc., from morning to night.If the limited progress is not reached, a torch has to be lit to do night work.The reduction of corvee is originally an important one of the twelve suggestions.But Li Zhi didn't care about the New Deal or not, he only cared about building the mausoleum for his dead son, and he didn't even listen to Wu Zetian's advice.As the saying goes, the government forces the people to rebel.The oppression exceeded people's ability to endure, and the migrant workers couldn't bear it anymore, and their suppressed anger finally broke out.There was a beast-like roar in the cave, and bricks and rubble flew towards the officials supervising the construction like raindrops.The craftsmen and migrant workers fled across the road, rushed out of the crossing, and ran away without a trace.This matter is really a great irony for the New Deal, Li Zhi who intends to "govern by doing nothing", or Hong who won the hearts of the people with kindness during his lifetime.Li Zhi made up his mind and took various measures at all costs. He sent more officers and soldiers, mobilized soldiers from the fields, transferred state soldiers, re-requisitioned corvée, and worked hard day and night for more than three months. Gongling was completed as scheduled.Then Hong's catalpa coffin, which was parked in the funeral palace, was moved into the mysterious room of Gongling according to the emperor's etiquette.Concubine Pei moved from the East Palace to the Inner Palace, became ill from depression, and died of hatred in loneliness a year later.Nine years later, she was named "Empress Ai" and buried in Gongling with Emperor Xiaojing.After the burial of the filial emperor Li Hong, Dai Zhide and Zhang Wencui, who had been acting as agents of the East Palace by Hong's side, were awarded the post of prime minister.Dai Zhide served as the right servant, Zhang Wencui served as the servant and Dali Qing, Hao Chujun was promoted from the Zhongshu servant and the third rank of the same family to the Zhongshu Ling, and Liu Rengui served as the right servant.Among the prime ministers, except for Liu Rengui, Wu Zetian was not very satisfied, and his attitude was rather reluctant.Because no ideal candidates have been found yet, we have to let them transition.These majestic rulers are like gentlemen, clinging to Confucian classics and clichés, and complacent.
However, in case of any emergency, there is nothing to do and nothing to do.In particular, most of these people lack political foresight, are not interested in Wu Zetian's innovations, and administrative strategies, and are quite modest.
Wu Zetian likes all-powerful figures, who are talented in culture and martial arts.She especially appreciates those who have unique insights, can stand on their own, and practice by themselves.For example, people like Li Yifu, although they are greedy for money and lustful, have extremely poor personal qualities, but when carrying out the will, they dare to stand up and go through fire and water without hesitation.
It is this point that Wu Zetian took a fancy to, and it can be used by me.After Li Xian became the crown prince, he defied the expectations of the Queen of Heaven, and seemed not to care about the New Deal, nor did he intend to join the ranks of the government.Among his four sons, Wu Zetian liked Xian most.It's just that she doesn't praise Li Zhi so much.She was deeply relieved by Xian's robustness and fondness for martial arts: "He looks good, healthy and active, and probably won't become a living corpse under the shackles of Confucianism like Hiroshi."
However, liking belongs to liking, and wishing goes to liking, but liking does not mean wishing.Xian is two years younger than Hong, twenty-two years old. He is similar to Hong in academics.But the two are not the same: Hiroshi is like a nerd, even to the point of being a dead end.Xian, however, does not study dead books. In addition to learning, because of his strong physique, he often wields knives and guns, practices riding and archery, or participates in hunting, or plays polo.Whenever Li Zhi talks about him, he is always full of praise, saying that he has the legacy of his grandfather Emperor Taizong.When I saw him, I smiled even more.Xian's appearance inherited the advantages of both parents: a square face, noble and chic demeanor.The temples are cut like knives, the nose is like hanging gallbladder, the two eyebrows are like lacquer, and the pair of star eyes are shining, full of youthful joy and vitality.Although young, his arms are broad, long and powerful, and his legs are slightly spread, as if he just jumped off a horse.His voice, smile, appearance and behavior have won the favor of his father, and Li Zhi transferred his hope to him again.Hong has no children in his life, but Xian is the father of three children: Guangshun, Guangren, and Shouyi.Guangren later changed his name to Shouli and granted him the title of Fen: Wang.These three children were not born to his main wife, Fangfei. He and Fangfei got married in the first year of Shangyuan, and it has only been more than a year since then.The concubine's father is Fang Renyu. When Yonghui suppressed the Queen Chen Shuozhen's uprising for four years, he served as the governor of Yangzhou's governor's office and made great contributions with Cui Yixuan, the governor of Yangzhou at that time.The majestic and heroic Xian, since moving into the East Palace, has been under increasing mental pressure, and his cheerful face is covered with clouds, making him appear to be preoccupied.
"Prince Xian is originally the child of the emperor and the wife of South Korea. He was not born to the queen of heaven, but can only be regarded as the adopted son of the queen of heaven."
This kind of argument has existed for a long time, but it has since stopped automatically.
"News" becomes "old news" and loses its appeal.Xian was established as the new prince, and "old news" was put on new clothes, becoming fashionable and transformed into "news".A lie told a hundred times becomes the truth.The rumors that spread wider and wider finally captured Prince Xian. He seemed to believe that his biological mother was the Korean lady who was poisoned to death by Wu Zetian.
"My mother, Mrs. Han Han, my brother Minzhi, and my sister, Mrs. Wei Guo, all died at the hands of this poisonous woman!" Xian shuddered and shivered.
"If that's the case, why did she make me the crown prince? Is this a trap set up so that she can deal with me like Fu Hong, and kill me as well?"
A series of questions followed, which could not be answered.He was frightened, terrified, and terrified all day long.
"This woman has long lost her humanity, like a demon, she can do anything!" Sensitively, Wu Zetian noticed that Prince Xian was avoiding her intentionally, and she quickly found out the reason: Xian had listened to the rumors, and the immature The heart was overwhelmed, and he fell into the "mire" of rumors and couldn't extricate himself.
“我必须把他从污泥中拖出来，洗涤干净，澄清事实真相。否则，他会自取灭亡，自己给自己带来灭顶之灾！”武则天决计采取相应的挽救措施。太子贤没有勇气和母后见面，总是寻找借口回避，更不肯跟她单独进膳。
武则天很苦恼，又很气愤，但目前别无他法，只能沉住气，耐心等待一个时期再说。
“若要妥善地达到消除误会的目的，切切不可操之过急，这是家庭内部矛盾，而且有得是时间。”
她想，“他已经长大成人了，让他自己慢慢去理解，比采取其他法子要好。身为太子，如果不养成分析、判断的习惯，缺乏识别真假的能力，今后如何临朝听政呢？”经过一番自我劝解，武则天坚定了信心，耐心等待，以母性的忍耐和执政者的冷静，窥视动态，观察太子贤的变化。第二年，即上元三年化？七月，东方出现了一颗又大又亮的彗星，比八年前四月份出现的那颗更吓人，拖着长长的尾巴，扫帚似的向着北方银河飞逝。彗星俗名扫帚星，古人视它如同瘟神，况且这么大的彗星十分罕见。胆小的李治惊恐失色，按照惯例避免上正殿，减少饮食，杜绝丝弦歌舞，又释放京城里的一般罪犯。朝廷仿佛笼罩着一片暗晻的阴翳。彗星拖到八月仍未消失，惟一的变化是从东北方向不知不觉地位移。太史局日夜观测，儒、道、佛三教各自以自己的斋醮方式祈祷上苍消灾灭难。九月，彗星在出现五十八天之后突然消失。关中地区反常地普降暴雨，平地流水，农作物被淹，形成了渍灾。大理寺奏报左威卫大将军权善才与左监门中郎将范怀义，误伐了昭陵的柏树。李治因彗星拖得精疲力竭，心情浮躁，立刻诏令处斩。从县令破格提拔的大理丞狄仁杰，得知此事，觉得不妥，撩袍上殿，觐见李治。狄仁杰四十七岁，比李治小两岁。他五短身材，腰板硬朗，面容清癯，胸前飘洒一部长胡子，二目犹如碧水一般清澈、深邃。此时他跪倒丹墀，以一种洪亮而得体的语调奏道：“权、范二将触犯了皇法，不错。然而即使是滥伐，也不构成死罪。”
“要知道，这是先帝的陵寝嘞！”李治激动得张开双手，“作为儿子，连父皇的一块墓地也守不住，岂不是大不孝。”
“身为官吏，犯下此种大罪，当然该受罚，但依法只能作除名处理。”
“朕即国家，朕的话就是法律。”
“由先帝主持制订的《唐律》，是治国的法宝。倘若意气用事，法律失去了尊严，人心浮动，怕只怕先帝九泉之下反而会不安呦”
“胡说！朕心里烦躁，你退下去。”
李治一手扪着发热的额头，侧过身去，不再理睬狄仁杰。狄仁杰镇定自如，并不退缩，手捧笏板，照样平缓而恳执地奏道：“陛下息怒，容微臣把话说完。古语法：法之不行也，自上犯之。天子不守法，如何垂范天下？”
李治站了起来，似乎想走，迟疑了一下，又重新坐下了。狄仁杰估计这番言语打动了李治的心，李治心服了，只不过口里还没有服，还没有把话收回去。必须趁热打铁，将话转到具体事实的上面。
“砍掉一棵树，可以补栽，人死了则不可以复生。常言道，十年树木，百年树人。一个从战场上走过来的将军，他们出生入死，浴血奋战，为的是什么呢？无疑是为了先帝所开创的大唐基业。如果仅仅因为他们错砍了一棵古柏，就要处以斩刑，那岂不是一错再错。”
听到这里，武则天心中不胜感慨。从言谈举止中，她觉察出狄仁杰决非等闲之辈。殿内的气氛有所缓和，但是天皇仍然尴尬，进退维谷。既要替李治遮面子，不能伤害他的自尊心，又要鼓励忠臣犯颜直谏，不挫伤他们的积极性。想到这里，武则天目光一闪，恰到好处地截住了狄仁杰的话头，又恰到好处地开口道：“狄卿既然了解伐树的实情，又懂得国法，那么，此事就交由你处理好啦。”
狄仁杰不负所望，依法免除了权善才和范怀义的死刑，改判革职除名，发配岭南。事后，武则天派人调查了狄仁杰的来历和任职等情况。狄仁杰和她是同乡，并州太原山西太原西南人，字英怀，永徽年间举明经科，授汴州参军，后任县令。他为官清廉刚正，秉公断案，羸得了当地的好评。后于仪凤中，擢升大理丞，岁中断积案一万七千人，未发生冤假错案，可谓断案如神，享有“狄青天”之美誉。
武则天像得了宝物一样欢天喜地。自从李义府、李筋、许敬宗等人弃世之后，她一直在物色人才。现在政局稳定，大权在握，作为实际的执政者，有责任发动民众，调动一切积极因素，建设好家园，治理好国家。治国安邦平天下，关键在人，关键在于延揽和起用治世的能臣，发挥他们的重要作用。诚然，某些时候也要利用一些“毒药型”的佞臣，以毒攻毒，产生良药所不可及的效果。人材难得。天皇天后再次召见了狄仁杰，擢拔他为侍御史。从职位而言，侍御史和大理丞同属从六品，而侍御史却是想成为清要官的一级踏板。后来狄仁杰辅佐武则天管理朝政，推行新政，赤胆忠心，成绩斐然，成为大唐的一代名相。由此可见，武则天眼光之锐利，器重人才，又善于驾驭臣下。
秋去冬来，李治和武则天返回了长安。李治身体不行，而对于文学艺术与歌舞一贯爱好，也很精通。他亲自编排并上演了“上元乐”。这是宫廷大型文舞，由穿着云纹衣裳的一百八十名舞女，按金木水火土五行列队舞蹈，含有驱邪消灾的意味，规定凡元旦和除夕的朝会都要上演。舞乐似乎带来了吉祥，陈州上奏见到了凤凰。这一瑞兆足可以抵消彗星的阴影。天后借此从上元三年十一月起，改年号为仪凤元年。十二月，太子左庶子张大安、洗马刘纳言等，协助太子贤完成了《后汉书》的注释。这就是广为流传的《章怀太子注，后汉书》。抵制新政的清要官们拍手称快，相互庆贺，仿佛这是他们的一大胜利，且不说学术成就，在文学方面也胜过了武后的北门学士。注释《后汉书》，很可能隐含着一个政治意图，借古讽今，借后汉皇太后垂帘听政所带来的严重后果，影射武则天垂帘听政。大年一过，便进人了仪凤二年。
四月，河南、河北普遍大旱，大地龟裂。灾民扶老携幼逃荒，饥荒与瘟疫并发，成群的乌鸦黑云似的在人们的头顶上盘旋，呱呱的叫声格外凄厉刺耳。清要官们把天灾一古脑儿推到新政身上，幸灾乐祸，大放厥词：“新政者，凶灾也。牝鸡司晨，灾难降临，今后还不知道会发生什么事咧！”当初，刘仁轨率军从熊津撤回，留下熊津都尉扶余隆。扶余隆畏惧新罗王国逼迫，不敢驻守，不久也返回了长安。唐朝任命工部尚书高藏当辽东州都督，封朝鲜王，送回辽东，安抚高丽民众。被强行迁人中国内地各州的高丽遗民，也让他们随高藏返回故土。
朝廷再任命扶余隆为熊津都督，封带方王，也送他回去安抚百济遗民。又把安东都护府迁移到新城辽宁抚顺市北，管辖辽东州和熊津。百济荒芜残破，朝廷便让扶余隆寓居高丽境内。高藏抵达辽东辽阳市，心思起了变化，暗通秣顇，阴谋反叛。朝廷发觉了髙藏的动态，把他召回了长安，贬到邛州〔四川邛崃县〕，髙藏死在贬所。他的部众被分散迁徙到河南、陇右各州，贫穷的留在安东城外。高丽故都平壤被新罗吞没，残余部落分别逃到秣辑部落及突厥部落。扶余隆始终不敢返回故国。这样，高丽髙姓王族及百济扶余王族，便都覆灭了。西南方，叶蕃王国侵扰扶州〔四川南坪县〕的临河镇甘肃文县境、擒获镇将杜孝升，命他写信说服松州〔四川松潘县〕都督武居寂投降。杜孝升宁死不屈，坚决拒绝。叶蕃撤退时，抛下他走了。杜孝升召集残余部众，继续防守临河镇。朝廷升迁杜孝升为游击将军，从五品。吐蕃使者来到大唐朝廷，按照本国的礼节行了一个鞠躬礼，甩动一只袖子，眼睛翻上额头，骄慢慢地说道：“尊敬的天皇陛下，要想停战并不那么容易。不过，如果把太平公主嫁给我吐蕃国王芒松芒赞，倒是可以化敌为亲。”
“岂有此理！”天后闻言大怒，“可恶的蕃邦，癞蛤蟆想天鹅肉吃，居然打起我小女的主意来啦！”但是转念一想，觉得现在内外交困，情势于我不利，不可采取强硬态度。遂蹙了蹙眉尖，找借口推脱道：“非常抱欠，请贵使回去转告赞普。早在七年前，公主的外祖母太原王妃逝世，为报答生前慈恩，超度亡灵，已女冠入道，不得犯戒通婚。”
好一个精灵的武则天，真是来得及，善于应付事态、变故。太平公主七岁入道不错，但是并没有发誓终生不嫁，也没有进道观。为了迷惑吐蕃，立刻把领政坊的公主府改名为“太平观”，又把咸亨三年薨逝的髙祖李渊第十子宋王元礼王府进行修缮，更名为“太平女观”，让太平公主搬进里面居住。道教和佛都有所不同，和尚尼姑要剃度，而道家则认为须发出乎天然，应让其自生自灭男道士留须发，头发挽成发髻，女道士留发，头发也梳成发髻服装男女相同，都身穿青蓝色的宽袖衣裳，脚穿自制的布鞋，男女都戴道冠。但是有地位的道士，穿着以丝锦织成的法服一太上化衣，戴上九梁道冠之类，则又是一番情景，正所谓峨冠博带、道貌岸然。太平公主穿的是华贵的“太上化衣”，戴着镶七宝的黄金道冠，本人冰莹玉丽，通身珠光宝气，往返于道观与内宫，好似驾七彩祥云下凡的仙女，别有一番风韵。
武则天虽然巧妙地推掉了吐蕃要娶太平公主之事，却制止不了边境的骚扰。吐蕃的入侵是以掳掠为主要目的，在战争中也体现了游牧民族的流动特点，进进退退，以一种波浪似的方式，循环往复攻击。防不胜防，很难对付。十二条新法之一是提倡和平外交，尽可能减少战争，避免远征。这一次，吐蕃的确太狂妄了，大大超出了武则天的容忍限度。她以朝廷的名义命令左仆射刘仁轨镇守洮河军青海乐都县，调兵遣将，兴师讨伐吐蕃。李治的旧病又犯了一次，而且比以往严重得多。他的身体一天不如一天，基本上不理朝中国事了。
武则天自从当皇后起，干预朝政大体可分成三个阶段：开头十年是李治日日坐朝，武则天不过偶尔临朝。中间十年，从上官仪死的那年鳞德元年至咸亨四年，李治与武则天并称“二圣”或“双圣”，两个人同时坐朝听政。最后十年，从上元元年至李治嫔天，武则天日日上朝，而李治仅只偶尔上朝。
武则天事实上独掌乾坤，李治好比聋子的耳朵一配相的，形同摆设，做做样子而已。仪凤二年，边庭告急，战争不断，朝廷内外大小事情都得由武则天决断，没有人帮她代劳。她已年近五十五岁一岁月不由人啊！不管身体如何强壮，精力总不如青壮年时期那么充沛。因此，她很想物色一名才女，帮她代一代笔，料理一下日常庶务。这时候，因袓父上官仪之罪没籍入宫的上官婉儿，在同时没籍入宫的母亲郑氏的细心照料、调教下，已经长成了一位婉娈动人、多才多艺的少女。
她和太平公主同年出生，只比公主大些月份，年纪十四岁，在内宫习艺馆学习。其爱好非常广泛，攻读经史，兼修法律、算术，又练书法以及声乐、棋弈，尤其长于诗赋，又熟悉宫廷礼节。
武则天从宫教博士口中打听到了婉儿，便亲自召见了她。婉儿纯系宫婢打扮，头发梳成双发发型，短衫，长裙，只不过别出心裁结了一条白领巾。她身量苗条，脸色白嫩，举止轻盈、落落大方而又合乎礼法。口齿伶俐，声音清脆悦耳。
武则天出了几个题目问她，她知之为知之，不知为不知，显得很诚实。
武则天疑虑顿释，当即吩咐高延福传谕掖庭宫，调上官婉儿前来常侍左右。仪凤三年正月初四日，天后登上含元宫光顺门的城楼，替代天皇接受文武百官及各国酋长、使节的朝贺。
武则天身着深青祎衣，素纱中单，黼领，大红夹裳，绯红罗夹蔽膝，裨、纽、约、佩、缓皆如天子，青袜，舄加金饰。她表情庄重严肃，通身上下绣彩辉煌。含元殿前的丹陛下和丹墀内，陈设仪仗，百官及各国酋长、使节依次排班站立，行跪拜礼。朝贺毕，举行筵宴，丹陛丹墀两侧，东西朝房前廊，都铺开了席位，南北宫殿的台阶上设乐班，酒馔过后表演乐舞节目。当武则天在进出宫殿时，陈设数千人的卤簿，从含元殿起，经含元门、光顺门，直达丹凤门。含元殿前的所有广庭及御道两侧都排列着皇帝的仪仗，富丽堂皇，耀武扬威，场面极其煊赫而雄壮。用意非常明显，展现国威，表示征讨吐蕃的决心。吐蕃和唐朝的关系彻底破裂，双方箭拔弩张。镇守洮河的刘仁轨，不断上疏提出建议事项，多被中书令李敬玄搁置，心生怨恨。他明知李敬玄并无将帅的才能，只想报复他，便上了一道表章奏请道：“西部边陲的防御，非李敬玄不可。”
天皇天后都很信赖刘仁轨，立刻召见了李敬玄。李敬玄有自知之明：一则他从来没有带兵打过仗，不懂军事。二则觉察到了刘仁轨有意将他的军。但是仅凭猜测，没有事实依据，不好挑明戳穿，只能借故推辞。
武则天气得蛾眉倒蹙，凤眼圆睁，用手指着李敬玄火爆爆地说：“刘仁轨要是奏请御驾亲征，天皇也得去，你怎么能不去？”
“天皇天后，”李敬玄双膝跪倒下来，“臣不知兵法，缺少谋略，指挥不了三军。”
“不懂，到实践中去学，又不是叫你上刑场。”
“天后，死我一个倒无所谓。”
李敬玄嗓音发抖，“两军对阵，刀枪见红，那可是要命的买卖。上万人的性命，我可赔不起呀。”
“打仗哪有不死人的，”武则天语调尖利，“死人并不可怕。告诉你，用兵之道，首先是保存自己，其次才是消灭敌人。因此，要力争以最小的代价换取最大的胜利。”
“臣实在没有这样的能耐，并非贪生怕死。”
“国难当头，吐蕃如此猖獗，稍具爱国心的人，都会自动投向边防，抵御外侮，决不会像你一样推三推四，只想到自己，设法留在京城享清福。”
李敬玄无话可说了，只得硬着头皮接受了这项凶多吉少的差使。次日，下达了诏书，任命李敬玄接替刘仁轨为洮河道大总管兼安抚大使，并任检校鄯州都督。李敬玄在武则天的心目中也打了个大问号，怕他独当一面有困难，胜任不了，于是又把淮安王李神通的儿子、担任益州大都督府长史的李孝逸抽调出来，命他发剑南道四川西部及云南东部和山南道湖北西部及陕西南部的兵马，前往洮河支援。李神通是高袓李渊的堂弟，虽说军事才干平平，然而随同李世民东征西讨，倒也立下了不少功劳。把李孝逸当作将门之后，并非不切实际。况且，李孝逸用兵，也和他父王一样隐重，很难大获全胜，也不会一败涂地。
武则天全局在胸，知道农业连年欠收，国力不足，东方新罗占据了百济、高丽，北方突厥虎视眈眈，调兵遣将不免捉襟见肘，只能如此摆布，让李敬玄与李孝逸相互配合，去对付气势汹汹的吐蕃王国。李敬玄也憋足了气，也不想丢面子，让人瞧不起。二李都想到一块来了，兵马会合后，在龙支青海乐都县南跟吐蕃军打了一次遭遇战，以多胜少，击破了吐蕃军的阵势。李敬玄很得意，脸上像孩子似的露出欣幸和满足的笑容，用手掠一掠清秀的胡须，以六百里快骑传递军书，上奏龙支大捷。时令已至深秋，西北风呜呜地吼叫着，尘沙夹带着枯草黄叶漫天飞扬。
周长三百六十五里的青海湖水面缩小了，岸边和湖汊里开始冻结，湖心却清澈见底。天壁阴沉沉的，一片青灰色，留在空中的雪花，宛如扇动着翅膀的白蝴蝶一样，轻飘飘地落下来，落在冻结的泥地上，落在柳林的枝条上。冷风一次，就把雪片吹到了路边的湖汊里、水沟里。青海南山和大通山山坡上的雪，都被吹进了山谷。湖东的日月山传说是文成公主进藏时，随手摔掉的日月宝镜。宝镜落地裂成两半，即刻化作一座马鞍形高山。
落在它上面的雪，说来也怪，多数化成了水，向西流人了青海湖。地面上很少积雪，树枝上的雪花，也随时被风摇落了。前不久出过几天太阳，黄灿灿的，天气回暖过来。随后下了一场雨，草地处处水洼，水结成了冰，行军的人流车马从薄冰上辗过去，碎冰发出喀嚓喀嚓的细细的响声。车轮、马蹄和脚步把碎冰、泥、水和草根践踏成了又粘又稠的浆液。军马一离开，留下来，的是一片又深又长的静谧。湖中小岛上的棕头鸥、斑头雁等水鸟又飞了起来，绵羊、牦牛、犏牛、山羊、马、驴和骆驼又纷纷走进了牧场，远处还出现了野鹿、野牦牛、野马、野骆驼和野驴、羚羊的影子。牧人的吆喝声此伏彼起。牧羊犬仿佛嗅出了什么气味似的，汪汪地叫起来。李敬玄统率十八万人马，行进到青海湖畔扎下了营寨。他很尊重李孝逸，跟工部尚书、右卫大将军、彭城僖公刘审礼相处得也不错。大军安屯下来后，他们一齐走出中军帐，骑马从青海湖南岸奔向延伸到湖内的一个十来里长的半岛上。李孝逸挥鞭一指“二位，你们可知它的来历吗？”
“我只知它叫二郎尖，”刘审礼远望着半岛的北端，“好像与二郎神杨戬有关。”
“不错。相传二郎神从西天降魔归来，途经青海，见湖面宽阔，行人从南岸绕至北岸路程太远，他抓起一把土要在湖中间填出一条通道，缩短行程。刚填了十里，顿觉天昏地暗，跳上云端一看，只见黑风雕正在斗慈母鸟，翅膀遮蔽了天日。二郎神手起刀落，砍死了黑风雕，路却没有填完。”
“家门，”李敬玄问：“杨戬为什么要助慈母鸟？”
“慈母鸟是神鸟。从前青海湖内没有岛屿，水鸟没有栖息的地方，慈母鸟浮在水面上，让水鸟在它的背上繁衍生息。日久天长，慈母鸟就在西北隅化成了鸟岛。看，在空中翻飞的，在水里游动的，很多都是鸟岛上的鸟，有的还在岛上营巢孵卵，咭咭呷呷的鸣声连我们都听得见。”
“唔，湖中央的海心山，若浮若沉，云遮雾罩，它好像也有了几分仙气。”
刘审礼捡起一块小石片打了个漂漂：“这水多美，一片青绿色，如同镜面似的。我想，青海也许因此而得名。”
“青海可是有来头的哟。”
李孝逸颇有兴致地说，“相传老龙王有四个儿子，他把东海、南海、北海分别分给了老大、老二、老三。老四长大后，没有海给他了，老龙王便让他腾云驾雾去找地方造海。他遨游到大西北，见地域宽阔，便落下云头，将一百零八条河的水调集起来，兴风作浪，冲出