Chapter 2 The second lecture on Mount Li

On the afternoon of October 12, the emperor arrived at Xinfeng, and all the officials followed him. Guo Yuanzhen has cleared the land in Xinfeng as a field, and the field is surrounded by five-color flags, and there is a barracks for the five armies on foot and cavalry.Around the field, 200,000 soldiers and horses were stationed according to Fang Sejian's flags. The camp stretched for fifty miles, and wherever the breeze passed, the flags fluttered, looking majestic. Looking southeast from here, Mount Li is close at hand. There is a palace at the foot of the mountain. The warm soup in the palace is famous all over the world. Now the autumn wind is cooling, it is time to take a bath.When he arrived at Xinfeng, Gao Lishi asked Li Longji for instructions: "Your Majesty, the residence in the camp is shabby, and we will only lecture on martial arts tomorrow, so I invite your Majesty to live in Lishan Palace tonight, just in time to take a bath and wash away the road dust."

Li Longji shook his head and refused, saying that since he was teaching martial arts, he should eat and live with the soldiers. Gao Lishi followed his words and led the car to the gate, and Guo Yuanzhen led a group of generals to welcome him out.Li Longji took a closer look and recognized one of them, because he asked: "Mr. Guo, why did you call Guo Duhu over?" Li Longji said that the name of this person was Guo Qianquan, who was then the Chief Protector of the Beiting Protectorate and General You Xiaowei.In the second year of Chang'an (702 A.D.), the Tang Dynasty established Beiting Duhufu, which governed Tingzhou and was responsible for managing the land recovered from the Western Turks.

Guo Yuanzhen bowed and said: "Guo Duhu returned to Beijing to report on his duties. It coincides with this grand ceremony, and I ordered him to accompany him to observe it. Moreover, Guo Duhu is familiar with formations, so he can also help me." Li Longji felt a little harsh, and said: "Grand ceremony? The etiquette of martial arts, is it the same as an ordinary ceremony? There is a saying in "Book of Rites": "The Banchao governs the army, appoints officials to practice the law, and indecent etiquette is not dignified." I ordered this time When speaking about martial arts, you must have high morale and dignified military ceremonies to demonstrate national prestige. Mr. Guo, it is true that you should be polite when speaking about martial arts, but you must have momentum when rehearsing. I asked you to preside over the plan. Have you ever rehearsed beforehand?"

"Your Majesty, after receiving the order, I have ordered the Ministry of War to lead tens of thousands of soldiers from the capital to practice in the outskirts of Beijing several times. The army is assembled today, and all the ministries know their responsibilities. It should be fine." Li Longji frowned slightly, thinking that if the 200,000 troops had not gone through a pre-rehearsal, if they practiced at the same time, they would definitely lose sight of one another, so he asked: "Tomorrow's rehearsal, who will host it?" Guo Yuanzhen replied: "Tang Shao, the minister of the sect, knows the etiquette for this martial arts performance."

Li Longji didn't take it seriously, and said: "The 200,000 army is so powerful, Tang Shao is only a fifth-rank official, and he doesn't understand military affairs. Guo Gong, let him come and shout at the 200,000 army, can you do it?" "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, now the military discipline is strict, as long as the command is followed, there is no difference between the subject and Tang Shao." Li Longji smiled and said: "Mr. Guo is so confident? Well, I and the officials will observe it tomorrow. Mr. Guo, let everyone disperse, and you will follow me to inspect the camp."

Guo Yuanzhen said with concern: "Your Majesty has been driving hard all the way, why not go to Lishan Li Palace to rest temporarily, and come back tomorrow to observe it. And if Your Majesty enters the camp now, the soldiers will be crowded to meet the saints, which will cause restlessness, which may not be good for Your Majesty's safety." .” "What's the disadvantage? If there is a disadvantage in my camp, where is the world safe? Let's go, you and I will ride horses in modest clothes, and the two horses will come in and out quickly, and we will definitely not disturb the order in the camp."

According to Guo Yuanzhen's words, he brought two horses, and the two put on ordinary clothes, without any entourage, and went around the camps.It is the golden autumn season, and the distance between the foothills of the mountains and the nearby ditch ridges has already been covered with red and yellow bushes, and the path under the forest is also covered with a layer of yellow and red leaves, and the horses hoof But passing by makes people feel more comfortable.When Li Longji came here, he suddenly remembered Zhang Shuo's proposal to come here to appreciate couplet poems, and all kinds of feelings suddenly surged in his heart.It took them more than an hour to pass most of the military camp. At this time, when they reached a high slope, they saw a round of red sun hanging obliquely in the western sky, reflecting the nearby colorful leaves and ditches beautifully. It contrasts with the colorful flags in the barracks, creating a beautiful picture.

Li Longji stopped to observe the scenery, looked back at Guo Yuanzhen and said, "Guo Gong, these government soldiers are usually farmers and soldiers, but now they have gathered suddenly. I think it is a bit messy." Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the military system has been in use.The system of government soldiers started from the Western Wei Dynasty and the Later Zhou Dynasty, from the Sui Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, and gradually developed. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Guanzhong was divided into twelve military residences, led by two generals, hussars and chariots. .The government soldiers went out to fight in wartime and farmed in leisure time, which had the characteristics of "combining soldiers in agriculture".

Another important feature of the Fubing system is "emphasis on the inside and lightness on the outside". At that time, there were 634 prefectures in total, while Guannei Road (that is, around Gyeonggi) had 261 prefectures. Compared with any area in the country, its The military strength is definitely in an advantageous position.This kind of military deployment has formed the characteristics of the capital as the leader, so Emperor Taizong has recognized the key points: mastering the Xuanwu Gate, you will master the key gates in the palace; thus controlling the center, you can control the Forbidden Army ; and then further control the Zhechong Mansion under the jurisdiction of Yongzhou, the world will not be able to resist it.Emperor Taizong developed his tenacity from Xuanwumen, and thereafter Xuanwumen's changes occurred frequently. The reason why Li Longji became emperor also benefited from the Xuanwumen's changes.

Guo Yuanzhen sighed: "Your Majesty's vision is really sharp. In the early Tang Dynasty, the government soldiers were brave, and this system was at the right time. However, it has been nearly a hundred years since the early Tang Dynasty, and the world has been peaceful for a long time. These government soldiers have long been unwilling to fight. He lives at home with his wife. When I was the guardian of Anxi at that time, Ya was unwilling to use these soldiers, and preferred to use the method of recruiting soldiers to recruit some brave men." Li Longji pondered for a moment, and then turned to another topic: "Guo Gong, I said that the story of Zhenguan is used to promote state affairs. Emperor Taizong adopted the method of resting with the people at that time, so you should not start the war lightly. You have presided over the military for a long time. , who knows the frontier situation best, how can we keep the frontier safe without going to war?"

Guo Yuanzhen paused for a moment, and then said: "Your Majesty, the Turks and Tubo are now in decline, and Nanzhao is also very quiet, but Khitan and Xi are a little restless. I think that there is no need to send more troops to the frontier, as long as you choose a good commander." "Well, what's your idea?" "Nanzhao's relationship with our country is very stable, so there is no need to consider it. The military in the Northwest is relatively strong, so it is necessary to strengthen the manpower in Youzhou. I have recently considered that the Anxi Governor's Mansion is close to the Beiting Governor's Mansion, and one person can choose This is an important point to prepare for the Turks, and to defend against Tubo in the south." "Can Guo Qianquan take on this role?" "My minister thinks that Youzhou's defense is very important. If you can use Guo Qian's power to replace Song Jing to guard this place, you can gradually drive Khitan and Xi back to the north of Yingzhou." When Zhao Wenyi lost power, the Khitan people and the Xi people joined forces to capture Yingzhou, and they continued to attack the city of Youzhou. The governor's office of Yingzhou had to be located in Yuyang City to the east of Youzhou.Guo Yuanzhen proposed that Guo Qianquan serve as the governor of Youzhou and the governor of Yingzhou concurrently, because he wanted him to deal with Khitan and Xi full-time. Li Longji pondered and said: "Well, you can do whatever you think is appropriate. You are right, Director Song Jing is not a military officer. However, since Song Jing was transferred to be the governor of Youzhou, after all, it is not easy to contain the offensive of Khitan and Xi." Guo Yuanzhen asked: "If Song Jing's governor of Youzhou is dismissed, what position does His Majesty want to confer on him?" Li Longji suddenly recalled the story that both Guo Yuanzhen and Yao Chong belonged to the Prince Xiang's Mansion. Although Song Jing did not work in the Prince Xiang's Mansion, but due to the Zhang Brothers and Webster's control of power, the three of them were inseparable and had a close past, so he asked: "What does Mr. Guo think?" Guo Yuanzhen replied: "Song Jing is as talented as Yao Chong. He used to be a prime minister. Now is the time for His Majesty to employ people. If you employ them, I believe they can contribute a lot to Your Majesty." Guo Yuanzhen told the truth, but Li Longji sounded a bit awkward.A king would like all his officials to be loyal to him alone, Ya would not like them to have a close relationship in private, even if they did not form a party, they would be suspected of forming a party.What's more, on the third day of July, when I led people to eliminate my aunt's party members, Guo Yuanzhen had been guarding his father Li Dan with his sword. Of course, he did this to discuss with himself first. If it is not good for his father Li Dan, does anyone include Li Longji himself? Thinking of this, Li Longji didn't show any hesitation on his face, he just said lightly: "Yes, it's time for employing people, and it's time for them to contribute their strength." Guo Yuanzhen said something at the most inappropriate time, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with saying it, but Li Longji felt it was very harsh: "Your Majesty thinks that he has read the memorial of dismissing ministers, and the minister needs to add it urgently, and we can't delay it for too long." .” Li Longji thought to himself, it is up to me to add ministers or not, so it is fine for you to submit a memorial, why do you take matters that have nothing to do with you as your own responsibility?He squinted at Guo Yuanzhen, and said lightly, "Well, I understand. Let's go, let's go back to camp." Just as they were talking, the sun set a long way down again, and the sun became deeper and redder, smudged the western half of the sky red.The scale-shaped clouds floating in the air indicate that the next day will definitely be a clear and sunny day. Tang Shao's heartstrings were tense for this martial arts lecture, and he had already sent orders to all the armies, ordering the soldiers to stand up at the third watch, make meals at the fourth watch, and gather at designated positions at the fifth watch.Maybe it was because he was so preoccupied that he didn't close his eyes that night. At the time of the fifth watch, the armies were indeed arranged in their respective positions.Just listen to people talking and horses neighing, and the noise is very loud; then watch the torches gathered all over the mountains and fields, forming a sea of ​​torches. Li Longji didn't sleep well at night. At the third watch, the soldiers left their tents and got up, and the noise around the tent was extremely noisy. Li Longji woke up because of this, and couldn't fall asleep again.Unexpectedly, this kind of noise was endless, and when the chaos reached the fifth watch, it still had no tendency to calm down. At the fourth watch, Li Longji asked Gao Lishi to inquire what happened. After Gao Lishi returned, he told the order of actions of the soldiers this morning. Li Longji didn't say anything after hearing this.After the fifth watch, when Li Longji heard the commotion outside, he suddenly felt an unknown anger from the bottom of his heart, and said angrily, "What kind of soldiers is this Guo Yuanzhen training? It's so noisy on the battlefield, the enemy has already been scared away! Hmph I heard that Guo Yuanzhen often compares himself to Li Jing, thinking that Li Jing led only 10,000 troops to destroy the Eastern Turkic tooth tent, could Guo Yuanzhen succeed like this?" Gao Lishi hurriedly persuaded: "Your Majesty, the army just got together yesterday. These soldiers gathered from all over the place, and there was no rehearsal beforehand. There must be a hectic process. I will go to Guo Gong and ask him to declare discipline and restrain the soldiers. Don't make any noise." Li Longji reprimanded: "Military appearance and military discipline are formed on weekdays, how can we suppress them with words? Forget it, let them go and see how long they can mess up. You let them come in and serve and change clothes." Li Longji got up and dressed, washed his face and rinsed his mouth under the service of the maid, and then sat down to eat breakfast in front of the table.While he was eating, he suddenly remembered Guo Yuanzhen's topic about the government soldiers yesterday, and lamented that these government soldiers who are both soldiers and farmers have been in peace for a long time, and they are indeed a little slack. The sky was twilight, and at this time, several golden drums sounded outside, and the noise of the soldiers also fell silent.Li Longji knew that if you hit the drums, you will advance, and if you hit the gold, you will stop. There is probably a drill going on outside. As the sun rose gradually, the military formations were arranged in five formations according to the five-color flags.In each formation, the younger ones are in front and the elders are behind, holding bows and arrows, spears, banners, and swords and shields in different levels. After the reflection of the sun, one can see that the spears and halberds are like a forest, and the tips of the weapons are shining. There is a high platform built in the north, from which you can look down on the army formation in the south. This is prepared for Li Longji to observe the formation.At three o'clock in the morning, the soldiers of the five phalanx stood upright, and all the officials greeted each other with bowed shoulders, and Li Longji's luanjia came slowly.When he got to the stage and got off the chariot, all the officials hurriedly knelt down to meet him, and the soldiers also knelt and shouted, and then he heard the thunderous sound of "Long Live", which came out in unison from a population of 200,000, which is quite unusual. Tang Shaoyue came out and commanded all the soldiers to swear as teachers.After the incident, the soldiers stood up and formed again, changing from the original square formation to a battle formation, which indicated that the martial arts lecture was about to begin. Li Longji was wearing a military bien uniform this day, which was worn by the emperor when he lectured on martial arts, went out on expeditions, and hunted.The crown is covered with jade, the upper body is wrapped in a purple-brown tunic, the lower part is a white gown, black leather shoes are worn, the waist is tied with a jeweled belt, and an antique jade sword with real pine patterns hangs obliquely on the side of his body.Li Long was originally handsome, and with this military uniform, he looked even more heroic. Li Longji called Guo Yuanzhen over and said, "Mr. Guo, bring a big drum and let the drummers gather in the audience. I want to play the drum myself." Hearing that the emperor was about to beat the drum himself, the ministers opened their mouths in shock.This move shows that the emperor wants to personally join the ranks of martial arts, which can further stimulate morale, and the soldiers nearby can't help but feel excited when they hear it.Guo Yuanzhen knew that the emperor was good at beating jiegu, but there must be some differences in the military drums in front of him, so he asked with concern: "Your Majesty's holy hand, how can you fight with soldiers?" Li Longji understood Guo Yuanzhen's intentions, and said: "It's okay, I practice with the drummers for a while, and then I can blend in. Don't worry, it's just a few drum beats. Compared with the Jiegu in music and dance, it's much simpler." Guo Yuanzhen followed his advice. According to the law of teaching martial arts, the Eastern Army heard the drum and raised the green flag to form a straight formation; the Western Army heard the drum and raised the white flag to form a square formation in response.The second time, when the southern army heard the drum, they raised red flags to form a sharp formation; when the northern army heard the drum, they raised black flags to form a curved formation in response.After that, the Eastern Army heard the drum again, and immediately raised the yellow flag to form a circular formation; the Western Army then raised the green flag to form a straight formation to respond.In this way, each formation is host to each other, the one who raises first is the guest, and the one who raises later is the master. The color of the flag expresses the method of the five elements winning each other.When the situation changed, each army sent out soldiers to fight, each with fifty swords and shields, and challenged the front of the two armies. The 200,000 soldiers gathered this time, yesterday's battalion with banners stretching for 50 miles, and today's formation, this formation is of course no small matter. After Li Longji and the drummers finished the drum trial, the rhythm of the snare drum was relatively simple, as long as the rhythm was mastered and played in order, Li Longji quickly mastered the trick and signaled to Guo Yuanzhen that the martial arts lecture could begin. Guo Yuanzhen shouted to Tang Shao: "Let's start." Hearing this, Tang Shao raised the red flag in his hand, and then swung it down violently. This was the signal for beating the drums. Dozens of big drums sounded in an instant. Li Longji comprehended it very well, and he heard that the rhythms of the drums were neat and smooth. Hearing the sound of the drum, the Eastern Army hurriedly raised the green flag and formed a straight line.When it changed its formation, the drummers stopped drumming, and then summoned the Western Army after the Eastern Army successfully changed its formation. Li Longji stood at the highest position. He hung two big drumsticks in the air and watched the Eastern Army's change of formation intently.Looking at it, he gradually frowned: Not to mention the slow formation of the Eastern Army, the most terrible thing is that the pace is chaotic, and the green flags above their heads are neither in rows nor in columns, a large mess.Finally, after the soldiers arrived at the designated positions, the green flags on their heads gathered together to form. Li Longji's heart was getting angry, he squinted at Guo Yuanzhen, and saw that he was still standing there happily.At this time, the drummer signaled to hit the second drum. Li Longji suppressed his anger and hit the drum with a mallet. The drums stopped, and the western army began to raise the white flag to form a square formation, corresponding to the straight formation of the eastern army's red flag.Compared with the Eastern Army's straight formation, the Western Army's appearance has become slightly better due to its transformation into a phalanx formation. However, the white flags above its heads are still in a mess, and there is no formation level, which shows that its steps are chaotic. The anger in Li Longji's heart could no longer be restrained, he swung his mallet and slammed on the drum, and after hearing a "boom", Li Longji shouted loudly: "Guo Yuanzhen, don't talk about martial arts anymore." Guo Yuanzhen heard the words, hurriedly walked to the stage in front of Li Longji, bowed and asked: "Your Majesty, the martial arts lecture has just started, why did it stop suddenly?" Li Longji pointed at the Western Army who was changing formations, and seeing them still changing formations in a mess, Li Longji shouted: "Are these well-trained soldiers? I don't think they are soldiers, they are clearly a group of farmers there." Gather leisurely." Guo Yuanzhen argued: "Your Majesty's martial arts training days are too short. These 200,000 soldiers gathered in a hurry, and they didn't have time to practice together. There is some confusion, but after all, it is quite satisfactory." "Hmph, I decided on this matter a month ago and asked the Ministry of War to have a drill plan. It's so chaotic. It's clear that you have taken my words as a deaf ear. Guo Yuanzhen, is this my fault?" Guo Yuanzhen's defense was even more serious. Annoyed Li Longji, he shouted loudly, "Come here! Guo Yuanzhen is in charge of the military department, and his ineffective command of the army has caused the army to be disorganized and unsightly. He should be executed according to the law!" Wang Maozhong was the general of the Fuguo at that time, he was named Huo Guogong, he was in charge of the Zuolongwu Army, and he was Li Longji's close attendant at that time.As soon as Li Longji stopped speaking, Wang Maozhong led six dragon warriors who were like wolves and tigers to rush to Guo Yuanzhen's side, embracing him left and right to tie him up.At this time, the Western Army's change of formation had been successful, and everyone in the audience knew that the emperor was furious. For a while, there was no sound in the huge field, so quiet that it seemed that a needle could be heard. Just when Wang Maozhong was about to take Guo Yuanzhen out to behead him, the officials who were stunned by the incident came to their senses, and headed by Liu Youqiu and Zhang Shuo, they all knelt and kowtowed in front of Li Longji.Liu Youqiu took the lead in reporting: "Your Majesty, although Guo Yuanzhen is guilty today, he has made great contributions to the country in the past by securing borders and following His Majesty in eliminating rebellious parties. I beg Your Majesty to spare him the death penalty." Zhang Shuo also reported: "Your Majesty, the 200,000 soldiers and horses gathered here have not been drilled, and they are indeed in a poor array. I beg your Majesty to see Guo Yuanzhen's past achievements, and please forgive him." The other courtiers also begged bitterly. Guo Yuanzhen encountered such a sudden change in such a haste, he couldn't believe what he said in his heart, so he lost his head.Seeing the officials begging there, Fang realized that the disaster had already fallen on his head, and he felt fear in his heart. However, his mouth was stuffed with a cloth ball by the soldiers and he couldn't speak, so he could only cast a pleading look at the emperor. In fact, Li Longji didn't want to kill Guo Yuanzhen at all in his heart. He did this for the sake of establishing his prestige. He knew that the officials would intercede for Guo Yuanzhen, so there would be a step down.He glanced at Guo Yuanzhen who was tied up by five flowers, his face was still gloomy, and he paused for a moment and said: "Well, for the sake of your intercession, Guo Yuanzhen's death penalty is spared! However, the crime of living is inevitable, and he can immediately deprive him of all his titles and abolish him as a exile." , Distribute to Xinzhou!" Xinzhou lives in the wilderness of the south, more than 5,200 miles away from the capital. Seeing that Guo Yuanzhen was exonerated from the death penalty, the ministers breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Li Longji was so angry, they did not dare to intercede for him further.Wang Maozhong over there saw that the emperor had changed Guo Yuanzhen's death penalty, so he asked someone to untie him, and sent someone to escort him to the capital, and then deport him to the place of exile with his family. Li Longji was still angry, and said angrily: "Guo Yuanzhen is fine. That Tang Shao, who knows etiquette, made a mess of this martial arts. It is a serious crime. General Wang, you quickly take Tang Shao down and behead him on the spot." , to build up the military prestige!" Wang Maozhong agreed, and led his soldiers to capture Tang Shao.In an instant, only a scream was heard, and Tang Shao was beheaded in front of the battle. The officials knew that the emperor was furious today, and there must be a scapegoat.Tang Shao is a fifth-rank official with a lower rank, and these important officials don't have much friendship with him on weekdays, so they dare not say a word.Wei Zhigu was a servant of the province at that time, and he was the chief official of Tang Shao.However, there was a mistake in presiding over the grand ceremony this time, and the emperor said that Tang Shao deserved to die, so the servant of Menxia Province could not escape the responsibility.Wei Zhigu now thought that as long as the emperor didn't find fault with himself, he wouldn't dare to intercede for Tang Shao. When Tang Shao was beheaded, the soldiers on the scene were terrified, and the formation was a little scattered.Li Longji stood on the high platform with a cold face at this time, staring at the formation below. At this time, he saw that most of the formation was in disarray, but only two small groups of the Southern Army and the Central Army remained motionless. He was a little surprised. General Wang Maozhong He called over and said: "Did you see it? These two groups of troops are still in order. Go quickly and see who is leading the soldiers." Wang Maozhong flew on his horse and went to investigate. After a while, he came back and said, "Your Majesty, I have been careful. The two soldiers and horses were led by Jiedu Xue Ne of the Chinese Army, and Xie Wan, the governor of Shuofang Road. The soldiers and horses of the two routes are very strict, and the ministers want to enter the formation to find the leader, but they can't go through." Li Longji showed joy on his face, and said, "Okay! Guo Yuanzhen said that the chaos in front of him was due to the hasty assembly. Why can these two troops have strict discipline? It can be seen that the only way to govern the army is to be strict in daily life. General Gao." Gao Lishi stepped forward and bowed in agreement. "Hold my talisman, go and tell me that Guo Qianquan, the governor of Beiting, Xie Wan, the governor of Shuofang, and Xue Na, the governor of the Chinese army, have come to see me." Gao Lishi hurried to summon. Li Longji saw that the officials were still kneeling in front of him, and said: "Get up, I have something to say." The ministers got up and stood with their hands down. Li Longji said loudly: "I have said in the edict before that if Webster rebelled in the past, and if there is a murderer in the near future, my clan is really in danger. If you don't practice martial arts, you will be punished." What kind of situation is this? The purpose of this lecture on martial arts is to strengthen the country’s prestige and investigate the military’s reality. Unexpectedly, the lack of military etiquette shows that military affairs have been slack, and they are already in a dying state. The so-called one leaf knows the autumn, and the same is true for other affairs in the court. Zhong Zhongchen, from today onwards, we must cheer up, and we should take Guo Yuanzhen and Tang Shao as good lessons!" These words were very serious, and the officials couldn't help feeling lingering fear after hearing this.Thinking about it, who can compare with Guo Yuanzhen among the officials in the court, let alone others because of the disorderly appearance of such a hero who almost lost his head? Gao Lishi brought Guo Qianquan and the other three over. Li Longji looked at the three of them and said: "Guo Duhu has been leading troops in Beiting Duhu Mansion for a long time. There are real knives and guns there. If you slack off a little, your head will be chopped off by the enemy; you two are also very good. All the troops were in disarray, but the troops you led remained unmoved, and even the people I sent couldn't join the battle, which shows how strict the training is on a daily basis. I will reward you later." The three hurriedly knelt down and thanked En. Li Longji made them flat, and then said: "You have all seen that this martial arts lecture is really frustrating. What should we do? Everything should not be abandoned halfway. I have thought about it, and the three of you will continue to manage this martial arts lecture. Any Guo Qianquan is the ambassador of martial arts, Xue Na and Xie Wan are the deputy ambassadors of martial arts, I will give you a day and a half to practice, and I will come back with all the officials to observe in the future." Li Longji's extermination of Guo Yuanzhen and beheading Tang Shao just now has formed a huge majesty in the hearts of the officials, so of course there is no room for negotiation when he speaks like this now.Guo Qianquan and the other three hurriedly knelt down to accept the decree. Guo Qianquan raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured that the ministers will not eat or sleep, and they will definitely rehearse the formation properly." At this moment, Li Longji smiled and said: "You go, I believe in your abilities." After Guo Qianquan and the others left, Li Longji said, "Zhang Qing, have you made arrangements for hunting in Weichuan tomorrow?" Zhang said that the Yue people bowed and said: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that the hunting has already been arranged. The hunting and guarding are in charge of General Ge Fushun of Zuo Xiaowei and General Li Yide of Wuwei; according to the regulations of the court, three hundred li The governors of the states within are required to be present and accompany them, and the ministers have informed them that they should arrive at Weichuan today. Your Majesty, please start driving at 2 o'clock tomorrow, and all officials can follow along." Li Longji nodded and said: "The hunt this time is not for fun. Its inner spirit is similar to that of martial arts. I want you to experience the spirit of advocating martial arts and the way of vigorous and resolute action. Zhang Qing, everything is done beforehand Waste, if there are mistakes, I only ask you." Zhang said, bowing and saying, "I will definitely be careful and not dare to make mistakes." Li Longji gave Zhang Shuo a meaningful look, then got up and left. The hunting site was only ten miles away from Xinfeng Station, and it was nearly noon when the emperor's chariot and all the officials arrived here.You can see that the bottom of the Weichuan Valley is flat and wide, and the hillsides on both sides are mostly bushes, with more than half of the remaining leaves. The leaves on the top of the trees are red, and the leaves below and scattered on the ground are yellow, which contrasts with the yellowed withered grass. , It's really beautiful.According to the practice of hunting, soldiers on the outskirts of the Weichuan River first hit the wood with sticks, so that the small animals in it would be frightened and run towards the center, so that the emperor and officials could shoot and kill them.Ge Fushun, who was in charge of this matter, reported to Li Longji who was in military uniform: "Your Majesty, all the soldiers have arrived, should we start now?" Li Longji replied: "Well, wait for a while. Zhang Qing, have all the governors arrived?" Zhang Yue stepped forward and bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Inspectors gathered here last night, there is no difference." Li Longji nodded in approval, and asked, "Has Yao Chong arrived yet?" Yao Chong is currently the governor of Tongzhou, and Tongzhou is less than a hundred miles away from Xinfeng, so he should be in the accompanying group as usual. Zhang said that he gave an affirmative answer, and seeing the emperor paying so much attention to Yao Chong, he suddenly had some doubts in his heart.Li Longji didn't say anything else, and asked Gao Lishi to send Yao Chong forward. Yao Chong is sixty-three years old. He was dismissed from Beijing at the beginning, and he worked abroad for several years.He led the order to salute in front of Li Longji. Li Longji stared for a moment and sighed: "Yao Qing, we have been separated for several years, but your face has changed a lot, and you feel quite old!" Yao Chong bowed and said: "Your Majesty hasn't seen my minister for several years, because I feel that there has been a great change; these years, I have eaten well and slept soundly, but I feel more energetic than before, and I don't feel old." Li Longji laughed and said: "That's right, your appearance has not yet reached the point of 'You are quite old, you can still afford food'." Yao Chongdao: "I dare not compare Lianpo, and there is no need to compare Lianpo myself!" Li Longji noticed that Yao Chong's words were very witty, he pondered for a while, and immediately understood Yao Chong's true intentions, and then smiled again: "Well, your attire today looks like hunting, I don't know if it's just pretending, Is it still possible?" Yao Chong replied: "Your Majesty probably doesn't know that I have been a prodigal son since I was a child, and carrying falcons out to hunt is my best job. It's just that I met an old man when I was twenty years old, saying that I will be a general in the future. You should not waste your youth like this, the minister just woke up and read books from now on." The ministers saw that the ruler and his ministers treated everyone as nothing and spit and narrated the story of Yao Chong's childhood, they really didn't understand.Only Zhang Shuo watched from the sidelines, knowing that the emperor singled out Yao Chong to speak today, which must have far-reaching implications.Thinking of Guo Yuanzhen being deposed as an exile yesterday, and the emperor summoning Yao Chong again today, is there any internal relationship between the two?Zhang said that thinking about it so far, he suddenly realized that if this is the case, then the emperor will change Yao Chong to be the governor of Tongzhou, and this time he is hunting in Weichuan, and the governors within three hundred miles will come to accompany him. Does it mean that the emperor has already planned it? Come here to meet Yao Chong?Zhang said that when he thought of this, his brain couldn't help but startled, and cold sweat broke out on his back. Li Longji smiled and said: "In this way, Yao Qing must be an all-rounder in civil and military affairs! But before you were twenty years old, you could leap and leap in the mountains and fields, but now you are over sixty, can you still do it?" Yao Chong replied decisively: "Your muscles and bones are still healthy, but as for galloping and shooting, you are old but still capable." Li Longji smiled and said: "Forget it, you will hunt with me today, let me see if you are boasting. Ge Fushun, you can start now." Ge Fushun took out his whistle and blew it. After that, the sound of the whistle gradually spread like a beacon.Then there was a sound outside Sichuan, it was the sound of beating and shouting alternately, and it was the beginning of driving. Catching dogs and hunting hawks is also Li Longji's forte. He was quite the same as Yao Chong when he was young, he was a well-known rambunctious boy in the capital.Seeing him rushing towards Gu Zhong first, Yao Chong hurriedly urged his horse to follow after seeing this, and the two of them did not keep a distance apart. Since the reign of Zhenguan, hunting activities have been prevalent in the court of the Tang Dynasty. Because of the establishment of carving workshops, eagle workshops, falcon workshops, kite workshops and dog workshops, they were named Wufang, and the envoys of Wufang were also led by the idle stables.When it comes to hunting, the best five kinds of raptor hounds are brought out from Wufang for the emperor and ministers to drive.When Li Longji hunted, he preferred to be accompanied by an eagle, but he looked down on Wufang's pets. He loved the Beishan yellow falcon raised by his fourth younger brother Qi Wang Fan and the Goryeo red falcon raised by his fifth younger brother Shen Wangye. Eagle, he had to send someone to get it from his younger brother before, and he used it alone. This hunt lasted nearly two hours. At this time, the sun had already slanted to the west, and the golden light made the forests of Weichuan even more beautiful.After that, when checking the prey, Yao Chong had one roe deer and one sika deer less than Li Longji, but with the help of two falcons, Li Longji had more than twenty hares.Yao Chongguan sighed and said: "Oh, I am old after all, compared with Your Majesty, I am really inferior." Li Longji wiped the sweat from his head with his sleeve, and said with a smile: "Yao Qing, don't be too modest! After all this work, I feel tired, but Guan Qing is still refreshed. Your stamina must be better than mine. .Besides, I got the power of those two beasts, so I have more prey, which is not enough." At this time, Zhang said that he came over and interjected: "Your Majesty just watched Your Majesty and Yao Gong rushing left and right, like lightning. I said in private that probably Yao Gong has loved this way these years. Therefore, the body is strong and strong, and the ministers are absolutely inferior." Li Longji looked at Zhang and said with a smile: "According to what Qing said, the reason why Yao Qing can hunt like flying must be due to not doing a proper job on weekdays?" Zhang said hurriedly bowing his head to defend himself: "Your Majesty thought just now that Your Majesty is full of energy, and Mr. Yao is growing old and strong. It is really a blessing for the country. At present, a lot of waste is waiting to be done, and the monarch and his ministers are in good health to deal with redundant tasks calmly. There are very few mistakes." Li Longji nodded and said: "Well, what you say makes sense." He turned his head and called out again, "General Gao, send the order to drive to Lishan Li Palace. Everyone is sweating and soiled today, so you should take a good bath back." After Gao Lishi received the order, he hurried over to make arrangements. Li Longji smiled again and said to Yao Chong: "You are fine! I never imagined that you are over sixty years old, and your body is still so healthy. With such a body, your brain is not bad. How about this, I haven't seen you for a long time, I have a lot to say Said. After the car drives away, you can walk afterward, don't stay too far away from me." Yao Chong bowed to see them off, and seemed to agree in his mouth. It is only six miles from Weichuan to the Li Palace at the foot of Lishan Mountain. After driving away, all the officials and guards will go on horseback, and they should be able to arrive within an hour. This time Li Longji repelled Guo Yuanzhen and went to Weichuan to meet Yao Chong. It seemed to be an accidental move, but it was actually intentional. After he really became the emperor, Li Longji's biggest idea was to immediately set things right and establish a style of chastity.However, nearly three months have passed, and Zhang said that these heroes were as calm as swallowing water, and they were calm and stable. This reminded Li Longji of Yao Chong's benefits, because he wanted to use it.Zhang said that he saw through Li Longji's mind. He first used words to incite the thoughts of the heroes to become prime ministers, and then stated his interests to Wang Ju, so Wang Ju had a scene of advising Li Longji.What a smart person Li Longji is, he immediately understood that Zhang Shuo was the mastermind behind the scenes, and felt that these heroes only valued vested interests and did not want to make new achievements. With these heroes around him, others could not open this circle. The only person who has the ability to break this circle is the emperor. At first, Li Longji wanted to find Zhang Shuo's mistake and take it down, but Guo Yuanzhen bumped into him early, and Zhang Shuo escaped unharmed.However, the effect of taking Guo Yuanzhen down is better. This person's reputation is so high that no one can match him. Moreover, he has been in the military for many years, and he is a direct confidant of the Supreme Emperor. After being taken down, many hidden dangers will be reduced. Even if Guo Yuanzhen is like this, the other heroes must be greatly shocked, and Li Longji has already achieved the effect of standing up. As for meeting Yao Chong, it was due to Li Longji's doubts: after all, Yao Chong is over sixty years old, if he is entrusted with a heavy responsibility, will his body and energy be able to do it?Today's gallop shows: Yao Chong can do it! Li Longji was sitting in the car, shaking his body slightly with the rotation of the wheels. Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth could not help but smile.At that moment, he couldn't help but turned his head and raised the curtain of the car, intending to take a look at Yao Chong.However, he looked at it for a while, but he didn't see Yao Chong's figure, so he shouted: "Stop." After the car stopped, Li Longji jumped out of the car.Gao Lishi didn't know why, so he hurried to inquire.Li Longji waved his finger and said, "Where's Yao Chong? I asked him to walk later, why didn't he appear?" Gao Lishi went to the end of the team and found Yao Chong.There is a system in the imperial court. After the emperor drives, the ministers will accompany him, and then he will be the officials of the court. Yao Chong was brought by Gao Lishi to meet Li Longji, Yao Chong wanted to salute, but was stopped by Li Longji, and he asked sharply: "Yao Chong, I asked you to follow, why didn't you obey the order?" Yao Chong replied: "Your Majesty, as the governor of Tongzhou, I should abide by the imperial system and dare not act arbitrarily." "Hmph, you follow the court system, so what should I say?" "Your Majesty, I believe that the laws and regulations of the country should not be abolished lightly. I have read your majesty's recent edicts and said many times that we must follow the story of Zhenguan. Emperor Taizong was advised by Wei Zheng and did not dare to violate the laws and regulations of the court. The rule of Zhenguan." "Hey, so it's still my fault?" "As an assassin, I dare not stand in front of the minister." Li Longji stared at Yao Chong for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "Yao Qing, you think your official position is too small. Anyway, I will grant your wish today. General Gao, call Zhang to come over." After Zhang said that, Li Longji immediately ordered: "Zhang Qing, you are here to draw up an imperial edict, conferring Yao Chong as Minister of the Ministry of War, and also knows the three ranks of Tongzhongshu." Zhang said he bowed and agreed, but his heart was cold, thinking that something he didn't want to happen happened so quickly. However, Yao Chong came to Li Longji, bowed and said: "Your Majesty is so kind, Yao Chong appreciates it. However, Yao Chong is old and weak, so he dare not accept this position!" 李隆基一愣，愠道：“朕授你此职，没有违背朝廷法度吧？你若不奉诏，即为抗旨！” 姚崇拱手道：“臣不敢抗旨。然臣此前已二度为相，行事皆半途而废。臣想做些事儿，事先须得了陛下言语允可，方敢奉诏。” 李隆基转颜一笑，说道：“哦，你想与朕讨些条件吗？好吧，我们就不要在途中说了，待沐浴之后，你可与朕共同进膳，你再细说。然这道诏书必须立刻就发，此事不用商议。张卿，你速去办吧。” 李隆基登上车驾，回眸笑道：“姚卿，你这次就跟在朕身后行走，应该不违背朝廷法度了吧？” 姚崇于是跟在车驾之后行走，与原来三位宰臣张说、刘幽求和魏知古行在一排。姚崇与其他三人目视，互相笑了笑算是打了招呼。就资格而言，姚崇此次三度为相，其气度无意有意间显得非常从容。昨日的郭元振还在宰辅之列，不料一日之间就换为姚崇，可见世事难料，似无预兆。 自从李隆基诛灭太平公主之党羽后，姚崇虽身在千里之外的申州，仍异常关注朝廷的一举一动。待到他看到张说等人为相后，没有体会皇帝的心意而有所动作，心中的滋味杂陈。此后又得到改授自己为同州刺史的授书，姚崇知道，许是自己的机会来了，因为此举表明，处于纷繁万端事务中的皇帝想起自己，绝不会仅仅改授一下这么简单。从那个时候开始，姚崇处置同州事务更趋简单，更多的时候独处静室默默思索。 姚崇想到这里，再回忆今日皇帝的言行，嘴角间不禁浮起微笑：皇帝今年不过二十九岁，其心计竟然老辣若斯！昨日讲武将郭元振废为流人，今日来狩猎是假，其内里意在自己，起意绝不会在近日。看来人称皇帝为“阿瞒”，那是绝对有道理的。 李隆基泡于温汤之中，惬意地将自己的四肢伸展，任池水荡漾轻刷躯身。他今日办完姚崇的事儿，似乎一下子轻松了起来。 到了此时，李隆基的色心随着池水荡漾辄起，方悟此次讲武未带妃嫔，不免有些美中不足。他此时有心在离宫中选出一位宫女来消火，又忆起姚崇马上就要来了，遂将色心按捺下去。 一番沐浴之后，李隆基感到通体舒泰。凡驰骋劳顿后再入池水，即可消解疲乏，精神再生。李隆基起身出浴，两名宫女急忙上来揩净水滴，并替其穿衣。李隆基此时闭目猜想姚崇的犹豫：我让你当宰相，自是让你大权独揽，你又何必在这里推三阻四呢？ 从温汤室沿内廊向北行约五百步，再向左拐，即为皇帝起居议事的正殿。此处离宫较之太极宫小了不少，然一应设施颇为齐全。李隆基步入正殿的时候，就见姚崇已候在那里。姚崇起身行礼，李隆基关切地问起姚崇是否沐浴过，姚崇答道已然沐浴过。原来这里除了皇帝沐浴的专汤之外，另建有供大臣们沐浴的大汤池。 李隆基施施然坐下，令姚崇与自己相对而坐，然后说道：“姚卿，你有什么话现在可以说了。此次任你为相，非朕一时兴起，实因朕熟思良久，认可你为不世干才方有此授。你如此推三阻四，莫非不想帮朕吗？” 姚崇起立后再复跪下，奏道：“陛下待臣如此厚恩，臣万分感谢。然殷鉴不远，太上皇主政之时，臣与宋璟颇想有作为，不料中途夭折。臣今日想了几件要紧事儿，若陛下答应，臣方敢就职；若陛下不答应，臣只有违旨了，哪怕降为流人也心无所憾。” 李隆基诧异道：“只要是利国利民的好事，朕万事准奏。姚卿，你心思机敏，当能明白朕的心意。我们其实并无私交，当时你与宋璟之所以暗里助朕，正是缘于我们皆有正本清源、将国家领上正路的心思。你起来说话，朕定会答应。” 姚崇道：“今日就请臣跪奏，若陛下答应，臣定当起身履任。” 李隆基摇摇头，苦笑道：“也罢，你赶快说吧。千万不可长篇大论，如此跪麻了你的膝盖，那也怨不了别人。” 姚崇抬头道：“臣有十事相献。这第一件，垂拱年间，则天皇后开始以峻法严刑御下，此非仁政也。愿陛下今后施政先存仁恕之道，可以吗？” 李隆基当即答道：“朕施政诏书中说过要效贞观故事，太宗皇帝贞观之初施政就是去严刑峻法，以教化天下为主旨。姚卿，今日所谓拨乱反正，就是要以忠恕治下，朕答应你。” “第二件，自垂拱年间之后，朝廷在西北用兵屡有败绩。有句话叫做'内强则外强'，臣请求陛下三十年之内不追求开疆拓土，可以吗？” 李隆基颔首道：“可以。贞观之初不求边功，以清静为要，让国家与百姓休养生息。” “第三件，过去近亲宠臣触犯了国家的法度，常常因为皇帝的开恩而免于处分。臣请陛下今后自亲近之人始严守国家法度，可以吗？” 李隆基断然道：“可以。国家法度在朕之上，朕不敢擅专违反。” “第四件，则天皇后临朝之时，常常用阉人传达诏命，阉人由此成为朝廷的喉舌，臣请求陛下不许阉人干预政事，可以吗？” 是时高力士正站在一侧，姚崇口称“阉人”而不呼“宦官”，显示其极度厌恶宦官。李隆基抬眼向高力士扫了一眼，沉吟道：“好吧，今后宦官只许内廷侍候，不许干预政事。” 宦官由于其特殊的身份，干预政事由来已久，让宦官完全不参与政事，其实很难。以李隆基之英明，刚刚授高力士为右监门将军，是为正三品职，由此打破了唐太宗定下的内侍省不置三品以上官员的定制。后来宫廷宦官渐多，且三品以上将军除授日增，肇始于此。 “第五件，顷年以来皇亲国戚向皇帝贡送财物以取媚，公卿及地方官也依此效法。陛下，这些贡献多是他们额外搜刮而来，由此加重百姓的负担。臣请陛下今后除国家规定的租、庸、调之外，杜绝其他收取，可以吗？” "Can." “第六件，自武氏窃据权要，继之韦庶人、安乐公主、太平公主又专权用事，使班序荒杂；臣请今后皇亲国戚不得授任台省以上中枢官员，凡是斜封、待阙、员外等官，一概罢免，可以吗？” 李隆基拍案道：“好呀，此为朕的夙愿。姚卿，你主政后可以从此处下手。” “第七件，先朝皇帝轻慢大臣，有时横加凌辱。臣请求陛下对大臣以礼相待，可以吗？第八件，中宗朝燕钦融及崔琬等人因直言被害，谏官畏惧不敢诤谏。臣请求陛下允许今后臣下都可以批逆鳞、犯忌讳，以开诤谏之风，可以吗？” 李隆基点头赞许，说道：“太宗皇帝开诤谏之风，代臣下以礼，朕记住了。” “第九件，则天皇后造福先寺，中宗造圣善寺，太上皇造金仙、玉真二观，其耗资何止百万？实为劳民伤财之事。臣请陛下今后不得再建寺观，可以吗？” 李隆基道：“朕每次见到这些寺观，心中就感到不安，今后肯定不再建造。贞观之初，太宗皇帝力促去奢省费，朕此后对奢费一节当有举措。” “第十件，此为最后一件事儿。西汉时吕禄、吕产几乎覆灭汉朝，此后的窦宪、梁冀又乱了东汉，如此外戚干政，在我朝更甚。臣请求陛下将不允许外戚干政，更不允许再出现女主天下的局面，可以吗？” 李隆基听完站起身来，边走边说道：“你这十件事儿皆说到朕心坎之上，前朝所以纷乱无比，其根源皆在外戚干政上。好了，姚卿，这十件事儿朕皆答应，你可以起来，今后就依此施政吧。”他走到姚崇面前，伸手扶他起来。姚崇毕竟跪了良久，腿上有些酸麻。 姚崇道：“谢陛下容臣无礼。臣还有一事不明。臣现在虽为宰相职，然为兵部尚书偏重军事，如何来施政呢？” 李隆基微笑道：“哈哈，人言姚卿老而弥辣，看来不假。你先以十事逼朕就范，现在又伸手要权来了。姚卿放心，朕多次思虑过此事。前朝有宰相七人，如今为四人，所谓人多嘴杂，不宜太多。朕以为有一主一辅二人就够了。你此后可放手施政，朕近来再替你留心，想法为你寻来一名辅政之人。” 李隆基此话说得非常直接，按其话意如刘幽求、张说和魏知古三人很快就要离开宰臣的位置，姚崇将一人之下万人之上，从而大权独揽。 姚崇心内大为感动，再复长跪谢道：“谢陛下恩典。陛下对臣之信任无以复加，臣定肝脑涂地，有死而已。” 李隆基将姚崇搀了起来，说道：“朕将年号定为开元，即是想开启一代新纪元。只要你我君臣戮力共治，定能遂朕之愿。姚卿，今日就说到这里，你速去安歇吧，今后就仰仗你了。” 姚崇长揖相谢，躬身告退。 第二日的讲武如期举行，经过郭虔权、薛讷和谢琬的连夜调教，讲武阵形虽不是十分整齐，毕竟有了大模样。李隆基由于办成了两件大事儿，心情大为好转，对郭虔权等人并不十分苛责。午时过后，讲武仪式完毕，李隆基等人随便进了一些食物，即起驾返回京城。 随后，李隆基还是采纳了郭元振的建议，授郭虔权为营州大都督，并兼任幽州大都督。至于宋璟，李隆基授其为雍州府刺史，并兼知御史大夫。 按：开元元年十二月，尚书左、右仆射改称左、右丞相，中书省改称紫微省，门下省称为黄门省，雍州府为京兆府，洛州为河南府，长史为尹，司马为少尹。到了开元四年，又将称呼改为原状。本着明晓简单的原则，本书不做改动。