Chapter 13 The battle of two prime ministers

In the spring of the seventh year of Yuanhe (812 A.D.), the conflict between Li Jifu and Li Jiang became more and more intense. Not long ago, Li Jifu promoted a man named Yuan Yifang to serve as Jingzhao Yin, but before the new year, Li Jiang demoted Yuan Yifang from the capital and sent him out as an observer in Fufang (now part of Shaanxi). Everyone in the officialdom knew that Li Jiang's actions were of course aimed at Li Jifu.However, it is not necessarily true that Li Jiang's move is purely to attack political opponents. Because, this degraded Yuan Yifang is really not a good bird.

This person has long been attached to the eunuch Tu Tu Cheng Cui, and has won the favor of Tu Tu Cheng Cui. Over the years, he has been promoted step by step in the political arena with his flattering skills.Li Jifu knew the importance of Tutu Chengcui in Xianzong's mind, so he promoted Yuan Yifang to Jing Zhaoyin, so as to show his favor to Tutu Chengcui. Li Jiang hated this group of politicians who form cliques for self-interest, so he had just visited the prime minister at the end of December last year, and on the 11th of the first lunar month this year, he took Yuan Yifang's surgery.

Yuan Yifang was suddenly demoted, of course he was aggrieved, so he took the opportunity of entering the palace to bid farewell to Xianzong, and sternly sued Li Jiang, saying: "Li Jiang used his power for personal gain, and made his same-year (same-ranked Jinshi) Xu Jitong was promoted to Jingzhao Shaoyin, but he expelled the minister to Fufang. From this, it can be seen that Li Jiang is good at prestige, and I am afraid that your majesty will be deceived by him." Xianzong glanced at Yuan Yifang, and said lightly: "I know Li Jiang, he is not such a person. But since you are so suspicious, I might as well ask him tomorrow."

Yuan Yifang's accusation was dismissed by the emperor on the spot, he couldn't help being a little ashamed, so he had to leave the palace disheartened.However, he still had a little luck in his heart - since the emperor said he wanted to ask, it proved that the emperor's trust in Li Jiang was not pure; if it was not pure, it proved that he still had a chance. The next day, Emperor Xianzong summoned Li Jiang and asked in a nonchalant tone, "Do people have friendship with Tongnian?" Li Jiang understood what was going on as soon as she heard it, so she replied calmly: "The so-called 'same year' is just that people from all over the world of Kyushu met by chance when they were admitted to the Imperial Academy, or they only met after they were admitted to the Imperial Academy. What kind of friendship! Your Majesty does not think that your ministers are stupid, let them be prime ministers, and the duty of a prime minister is to hire talents according to their talents. If they are really talented, even brothers and nephews should boldly use them, let alone 'the same year'! If you abandon talents in order to avoid suspicion, That is self-defense, not out of public welfare."

Xianzong took it very seriously and said, "Very well, I know you are not that kind of person." So he urged Yuan Yifang to leave Beijing to take up his post that day. Yuan Yifang's relegation is a signal that Li Jifu has gradually lost the upper hand in the battle between the two prime ministers. Li Jifu was full of a sense of crisis, and then he wanted to please Xianzong more and more, but unfortunately, doing so could only backfire. One day in March, Emperor Xianzong was discussing political affairs with the prime minister in the Hall of Yanying. Li Jifu quickly whitewashed the peace, and then said without losing the opportunity: "Now the world is at peace, Your Majesty should enjoy the joy of the emperor in time."

Li Jiang sneered a few times on the spot, and said: "Right now, there are more than 50 prefectures in Henan and Hebei, all of which cannot be implemented by the state; On the front line of the county), the flames of war have never subsided. In addition, floods and droughts continue to occur in various places, and the country's warehouses are empty. All of these show that this is the time when your majesty should eat and eat. How can you say that the world is peaceful? What do you mean carpe diem?" Xianzong agreed immediately: "What Xianqing said is exactly what I want."

Li Jifu's face was flushed from the choking, but he couldn't attack, so he just kept his head silent. After a while, Emperor Xianzong asked them again, what was the reason for the poor governance of political affairs during the reign of Dezong Zhenyuan.Li Jifu thought he was quite sure about this issue, and hurriedly said: "Dezong thought he was wise, and he didn't trust the prime minister, which made treacherous ministers take advantage of them, and thus became domineering. The reason for his political corruption is this." After Li Jifu finished speaking, he glanced at Li Jiang provocatively with a complacent look, thinking that he could definitely win a point this time.

Unexpectedly, as soon as his words fell, Xianzong immediately shook his head and said, "This may not be all Dezong's fault. When I was young, I was around Dezong, and when I found a major political flaw, the prime minister at that time did not persuade him again and again. Remonstrance, they are all in love with one's salary and position, struggling to live in peace. How can you attribute all the faults to Dezong today? You should take this as a lesson. If I make mistakes, you should stick to your opinions and give warnings. Don't worry about offending me and dare not speak up. .”

Li Jifu felt aggrieved, and said: "The ministers shouldn't force the king to accept their own opinions. Isn't it better to try to make the king happy and the minister safe?" Li Jiang pushed him back immediately: "As a minister, you should rebuke Yan Zhizhi and point out the gains and losses of the king's governance. If you keep silent and make the king suffer bad reputation, how can you be regarded as a loyal minister!" When Xianzong heard this, he nodded again and again: "Li Jiang's words are correct." After some questions from the monarch and his ministers, Li Jifu had already lost two points in a row, which made him sweat profusely.

In order to win back the defeat, Li Jifu did not wait for Xianzong to ask questions, but took the initiative to attack and change the subject, saying: "Since ancient times, reward and punishment have been the two major powers in the hands of the emperor, and they cannot be neglected. Since your majesty came to the throne, the kindness to the subjects It has been very deep, but lacks severe punishments and laws, so that the officials inside and outside the court are lax and lazy, I hope that your majesty will take strict measures to make them regain their strength!" When Xianzong heard the words, he didn't say yes or no, but instead asked Li Jiang: "What do you think of this question?"

Li Jiang said: "The government of the king advocates moral education, not harsh punishments and laws. Why not follow the example of Qin Shihuang and his son?" Xianzong gave him an appreciative look again, and said one word: "Of course." Li Jifu felt dizzy for a while, and complained repeatedly in his heart. In three rounds, Li Jiang scored three points in a row, but Li Jifu lost all three games and got a duck egg. After leaving the Yanying Hall that day and returning to Zhongshu Province, Li Jifu fell into a daze and lay limp on the bed, sighing continuously, as if a catastrophe was imminent. (Volume 238: "Jifu went to Zhongshu, lying down and not paying attention to things, just shouting.") In the days that followed, Emperor Xianzong increasingly neglected Li Jifu and trusted Li Jiang more and more.If Li Jiang hadn't remonstrated for many days, Xianzong would ask him nervously: "Is it because I can't tolerate blunt speech, or has nothing to remonstrate recently?" From Xianzong's different attitudes towards Li Jifu and Li Jiang, we can easily see that from this perspective, Xianzong Li Chun can be said to be a sober and self-control emperor.At least among the dozen or so emperors in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, he should be regarded as outstanding and outstanding. Perhaps because of this, Emperor Xianzong Li Chun was able to quickly adjust his strategy and make continuous efforts after the short-term setback in the fifth year of Yuanhe, so that he successfully pacified the Lianghe feudal clans a few years later and created a remarkable situation. "Yuanhe Zhongxing".Only in this way, after more than half a century of darkness, the Tang Empire finally blossomed into a reassuring bright color at the beginning of the ninth century. The short-term failure in the fifth year of Yuanhe did not make Xianzong a slump, nor did he turn him into the second Dezong. In the two years of temporary silence, he has actually been accumulating strength and waiting for new opportunities. In July of the seventh year of Yuanhe, Wei Bo Jiedu made Tian Ji'an insane and killed at will, leading to military and political chaos. Military and political affairs; and then appointed the popular general Tian Xing as the military envoy of Duzhi to assist Tian Huaijian. On August 12, the news of Tian Ji'an's death reached Chang'an. Realizing that a new opportunity had appeared, Emperor Xianzong immediately appointed Xue Ping, the general of Zuolongwu, as the envoy of Zheng Hua (Government Huazhou, now Hua County, Henan). Prepare to use this to control Weibo, and at the same time convene the prime minister to discuss the Weibo issue. Li Jifu expected that Ding Xianzong intended to use troops, so he advocated a crusade. However, Li Jiang believed that Wei Bo would automatically submit to the imperial court without the need for crusade. Li Jifu immediately stated a lot of reasons why he couldn't use troops.After hearing this, Emperor Xianzong finally agreed with Li Jifu very rarely, saying, "I mean the same thing." Li Jifu was overjoyed.But he didn't expect that at this moment, Li Jiang proposed an unexpected plan.In hindsight, it was because of Xianzong's implementation of this plan that the historical curtain of "Yuanhe Zhongxing" was gradually opened. Li Jiang said: "I have observed Lianghe feudal towns, and the strategy of controlling generals has always been to disperse military power, make the generals evenly matched, and restrict each other; in addition, there are generous rewards and severe punishments on the other, so the generals are jealous of each other. , no one dares to act rashly. However, if this strategy is to work, there must be a coach with strict law enforcement and tough wrists, so that the situation can be controlled. Now, Tian Huaijian is just a child, and everyone in the military must be powerful. Coveting, the power of the generals is uneven, and there will be internal strife. His strategy of dividing troops in the past has become the source of today's disaster. If the Tian family was not slaughtered by others, he would also be imprisoned by others. The dynasty was the most hated by all the vassals. If the generals of the dynasties do not rely on the imperial court for survival, they will be crushed by the neighboring vassals. Therefore, I think that there is no need to use troops, and you can sit back and wait for Wei Bo to return. Your Majesty only needs to strictly order all roads to mobilize horses and fight hard At the same time, he rewarded his own generals with honors and salaries, and Lianghe Fanzhen heard about it, and he was afraid that his generals would compete to follow suit, so the only way was to submit to the imperial court. This is the best strategy to subdue others without fighting." Obviously, Li Jiang intends to divide the two rivers towns by means of alienation. Xianzong Mao Sai suddenly realized, and decided to follow the plan. Li Jifu was once again robbed of the limelight by Li Jiang, so he was naturally extremely unwilling. A few days later, he repeatedly urged Xianzong to use troops against Wei Bo, and claimed that the military expenses, food and grass needed for the war were all ready, and he was waiting for the emperor's order. Xianzong was tempted, so he asked Li Jiang for his opinion.Li Jiang said: "A few years ago, the imperial court made great fanfare to crusade against Chengde, but in the end they lost their teachers and money, worked in vain, and became the laughing stock of the world. It will succeed, but it may cause new disasters. What's more, I have already analyzed the reason why you don't need to use troops against Wei Bo, and I hope Your Majesty will not have any doubts." When Xianzong heard the words, he finally stood up excitedly: "I have decided not to use troops against Wei Bo!" Li Jiang said: "Although Your Majesty said so, I am worried that some people will deceive Sheng Ting." Xianzong sternly said: "I have made up my mind, who can deceive me?" Li Jiang congratulated immediately: "If this can be done, sincerity is the blessing of the country." Later facts proved that Li Jiang's strategy was very successful - Wei Bo really broke out in internal strife, and soon surrendered to the court. This is indeed a blessing for the country.It's a pity that this is not Li Jiang's blessing. Because, with Wei Bo's surrender, Li Jiang's career as prime minister came to an end.