Chapter 22 Chapter 22: Prime Minister Zhang’s Appointments Are Distinct

Li Linfu returned to Beijing from Taiyuan, and this day he brought some Bingzhou soil instruments to visit Yuan Qianyao's mansion. After going through the process of closing households, Li Linfu and Yuan Qianyao became acquainted. Li Linfu no longer needs to let Yuan Qianyao's sons pass on the message. The two can talk to each other, and the conversation gradually deepens. Li Linfu cupped his hands and said: "Mr. Yuan, this junior has been ordered to return to the capital. It seems that the matter of Kuohu has been largely successful, so there is no need for the imperial court to send people to supervise it day and night?"

"Yes, that's what His Majesty said to Zhang Ling." "Yuan Gong, I wonder how the imperial court will arrange for us people?" "Well, you have a bright future, you have a bright future." Yuan Qianyao was very excited when he mentioned the matter of Kuohu. At the beginning, Yuan Qianyao and Yu Wenrong advocated Kuohu, which benefited the country a lot. Your Majesty Very pleased with this.Tracing back to the source, the reason why Yuan Qianyao was awarded the position of minister under the door and became the prime minister has a lot to do with the Kuohu matter. He then said excitedly: "When you return to Beijing this time, the imperial court will definitely reward you for your merits. There will be an increase in rank.”

"Oh, so please ask Mr. Yuan to take care of this junior." Yuan Qianyao asked: "When you were in Taiyuan, Zhang said that he was the governor of Bingzhou Shi and the ambassador of Tianbing Army there. You should meet often. How does he feel about you?" "The younger generation has only met Zhang Lingshu in a hurry, and he doesn't speak much, so he is ruthless." Yuan Qianyao smiled slightly and said: "That's right, Zhang said that he thinks highly of himself, and you come from a private job, so he didn't take you seriously after all." Zhang said that he changed the Zhengshitang into Zhongshu's sect, so Yuan Qianyao spent the most time in Zhongshu Province. Every time they discussed matters, Zhang Shuo's idea became the main one, and Yuan Qianyao was in an absolute subordinate position.

When Yuan Qianyao stayed in Zhongshu Province, he sometimes secretly praised Zhang Shuo's ability.It changed the Zhengshitang to Zhongshumenxia, ​​and the Menxia Province seemed to be a subsidiary of the Zhongshu Province; it set up the Wufang under the Zhongshumen, and it could bypass the Shangshusheng and directly issue orders to the Six Departments. power combined. Menxia Province has the right to deny and reject Zhongshu Province, and now it is in a subordinate position, so the function of denying and denying is greatly reduced.Yuan Qianyao knew that the previous relative design of the Zhongshu Province and the Menxia Province was conducive to the check and balance of power. Now that they are integrated into one body, Zhang said that the power of the prime minister is increasing, which is actually not good for the imperial power.

What puzzled Yuan Qianyao was that Emperor Li Longji did not object to this move, but instead strongly agreed with it. If the emperor is like this, of course Yuan Qianyao will accompany him, but it does not mean that he has no thoughts in his heart. Since Li Linfu made an appointment with Zhang Shuo, he has made clear Zhang Shuo's attitude towards him, knowing that even if he flatters him in every possible way, it will be in vain.Li Linfu has one advantage, he can quickly understand the general context of the matter, and then make a choice, and never take the path of injustice. So he decided not to follow Zhang Shuo's path again.

Li Linfu smiled slightly and said, "What Yuan Gong said is very true. This junior understands that Zhang Ling has a high vision, so he won't waste his energy." Yuan Qianyao sighed: "However, under the emperor, Zhang said everything he said. If you don't follow his way, and then find another way, it will be a waste of energy." Li Linfu read Yuan Qianyao's helplessness from the words, and thought that Yuan Qianyao only listened to Zhang's orders in daily life, and it seemed that he also had thoughts in his heart, so he said: "Mr. Yuan is a servant and also a prime minister. Your Majesty is extremely wise, and you will definitely not listen to one side or believe it, and your Majesty will also pay attention to what Yuan Gong says."

Yuan Qianyao regretted what he said just now, and thought that it would be unbeautiful if he said such resentful words in front of a young boy, so he smiled and said: "Yes, for national affairs, let us first Zhang said that he is still good at listening to opinions. Ge Nu, you Kuohu have made meritorious service, and the imperial court will definitely remember your meritorious service and give you a proper appointment." Li Linfu knew that this was the so-called official accent, and with his usual expression, he asked humbly: "This junior has little knowledge, and doesn't know how to advance or retreat. May I ask Mr. Yuan, where should I work for this junior in the future?"

Since it was related to Li Linfu's future, Yuan Qianyao thought it over.Li Linfu was not born in the imperial examination. Although he has dabbled in calligraphy, rhythm, and Danqing, in the officialdom, Wen Han is the main one, so it is difficult for him to make it to the stage.Yuan Qianyao thought again, now Zhongshu Province, Menxia Province and Shangshu Province seem to be mixed together, but Yushitai can impeach anyone, and it seems to be the only opposing position outside the three provinces.If Yushitai is also controlled by Zhang Shuo, the DPRK and China will become harmonious.What this son says at present will not be mixed with Zhang's theory. If it is distributed on Yushitai, it may be of some use in the future.

Thinking of this, Yuan Qianyao smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty now guides people to remonstrate, and attaches great importance to eloquent officers. Brother slave, you are insightful and meticulous in your actions. I think it is a good place for you to enter Yushitai. " Li Linfu bowed to thank him: "The words of Yuangong, the younger generation will remember. I hope that when it is convenient for Yuangong, he will be more considerate for the younger generation in front of the Holy Majesty and Zhang Ling." It seems that Wu Hui'er's unintentional words had an effect in front of Li Longji. After a few days, Li Longji said to Zhang that Pan Haoli is quite talented and needs to go to a foreign office to experience it.

At that time, exchanges between internal and external officials had become a common practice, and Pan Haoli was not a close confidant of Zhang Shuo, so there was no need to speak to the emperor.A few days later, Pan Haoli was awarded the title of Bingzhou Governor's History, and also known as the Deputy Envoy of Tianbing Army Jiedu. As a result, there was a vacancy in the position of Royal Doctor. Li Longji consulted Zhang Shuofu for his opinion. Zhang said: "I think of a man who has made great contributions to calming the chaos, and is the younger brother of the meritorious minister. Now he lives at home for the Duke of Zhongshan County."

Li Longji said: "Is this person Cui Rizhi?" "It's Cui Rizhi." Cui Rizhi is Cui Riyong's father and younger brother. When Li Longji killed Webster and embraced his father Li Dan as emperor, Cui Rizhi was the Sima of Luozhou at that time.It happened that Li Chongfu, the second son of Emperor Zhongzong, was leading a rebellion in Luoyang. Cui Rizhi led the troops to attack and made great contributions.Later, Cui Riyong was demoted, Cui Rizhi was also implicated, and has been out of work ever since. Li Longji sighed: "The Cui family in Boling is really talented. It's a pity that Cui Riyong has passed away. I think of his great achievements in the past, but now he has two ways of life. My heart is sad. Okay, you can revive Cui Rizhi. Zhang Qing , do you want to confer on Cui Rizhi the imperial censor?" "Your Majesty has this intention. Your Majesty, Cui Ri knows the classics and the first chapters. He is known for his talents and can be used." "However, he has been idle for many years, and the imperial doctor is an important job. Is he really competent?" A moment of unhappiness flashed through Li Longji's heart, and he remembered Zhang Shuo's appointment of Cui Yinfu and Yu Wenrong. The appointment of Cui Yinfu and Yu Wenrong has been suspended until now, because Zhang Shuo wanted to appoint Cui Yinfu as General Jinwu and Yu Wenrong as General Mingwei. General Jinwu is of the third rank, and General Mingwei is of the fourth rank. Their ranks are not low. However, after the reform of the military system, the government military system has survived in name only. Zhang said that Li Longji had not heard of Li Longji's idea of ​​appointing these two people, and his news flowed out from nowhere, which aroused public opinion in the capital. "Cui Yinfu and Yuwen Rongkuohu have meritorious service, and the Holy Majesty also said that they should be reused. Why are they given idle positions in the army?" "Hey, Zhong Shu Ling Zhang said that he is the leader of Wenzong, and he has always looked down upon non-literary people. Don't you know the background of these two people?" "That's right, these two people did not enter the imperial examination." "That's right, they have no talent to enter the government without the imperial examination. How can they be civil servants? It's better to be a martial artist." "Nonsense. These two people are devoted to the matter of closing the household. If they don't have the talents of Wenhan, how can they be successful?" "Hey, the so-called parties are united against dissidents. Most of the people in the court are scholars of literature. How can these two white men be tolerated?" This wind also blew into Li Longji's ears, and Wu Hui'er in the palace also heard about it. After Li Longji went to court that day, Wu Huier accompanied him to have lunch.After they finished their meal, Li Longji lay down on the chair and closed his eyes to digest, Wu Huier suddenly asked with a smile: "Your Majesty, I have heard a story about Yao Gong and Wei Zhigu recently, and I can't figure it out." Li Longji gave an "um" and motioned for her to continue. "At the time when Webster and Princess Taiping were involved in politics, Duke Yao and Wei Zhigu made great contributions to His Majesty. I heard that Wei Zhigu found out that Princess Taiping's intentions were not good for His Majesty. , seems to have forgotten Wei Zhigu's contribution, has a dislike for Wei Zhigu, and makes things difficult for him in every possible way." Li Longji thought to himself that Yao Chong's denigration of the heroes was not out of personal grievances, but for the purpose of consolidating his imperial power.It's just that it's subtle, and there's no need to explain it to Wu Hui'er in detail. Wu Hui'er went on to say: "The concubine later learned that the reason Yao Gong didn't like Wei Zhigu was because he thought Wei Zhigu was a minor official. Your Majesty, Wei Zhigu has made great achievements and is diligent and cautious in his administration. Yao Gong treats you like this. Is he a little unfair?" Li Longji sighed: "I use Mr. Yao because he is useful at the right time. I have a lot of trust in Mr. Yao, and I allow him to exercise authority within his jurisdiction, which really makes the country prosperous. I am very relieved to have such a relationship. As for who he treats better and who he treats worse when he governs, or even wrongs someone, it’s a small matter.” "What your Majesty said is true. However, I still don't understand. If a person is born as a petty official, can it be concluded that he has no talent in his life?" Li Longji opened his eyes and said with a smile: "There are so many people in the world, how can we test people from the same line? Yao Gong thinks so, it is really biased. For example, literature and official administration are not opposites. For example, Yao Gong was born in the imperial examination and is famous for his literature. , especially good at officialdom, if he blindly governs the world with literature, how can he be called "the man who saves the time"? Huier, why are you obsessed with this topic today?" Wu Huier pursed her lips and said with a smile: "This concubine also came up on a whim, so I would like to ask Your Majesty to clarify. Sigh, why can't women take part in the imperial examination? If there is such a case, maybe my concubine can also pass the Jinshi exam, so it is very honorable." Li Longji laughed heartily when he heard the words, and said: "Well, someday you will pay a visit to the tomb of Confucius, and ask Confucius, where did his saying 'only women and villains are difficult to raise' come from? If you can convince Confucius, I can also set up the position of Jinshi for women just for you." Wu Hui'er knew that this was the emperor's teasing words, and it could not be taken seriously, so she said sternly, "Hui'er dare not disturb your Majesty's mind. I know that men and women are different, and it is best for men to manage the affairs of the country. If women intervene , It is very easy to lead astray. Therefore, up to now, among the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, there has never been a woman who is an emperor or a minister." "Well, it's good that you know. Hui'er, I'm a little tired, let's rest on the bed for a while." Wu Hui'er is an intelligent person, what she said meant something.Since she knew Zhang Shuo's attitude towards her and how strong his ideas were, she would not change it easily.His position as empress is hopeless for the time being, but in time, if the emperor repeats his old words and there is still no support from the ministers in the court, the position of empress will still be elusive.From this moment on, Wu Huier decided to look for supporters in the court, but Zhang said it was obviously not the case, so she couldn't be too carefree in planting cronies and suppressing dissidents. And so there was this conversation. Now Li Longji saw Zhang Shuo recommending Cui Rizhi as Yushi doctor, and the conversation with Wu Huier that day sounded in his ears, so he said: "Zhang Qing, Cui Yinfu used to be the Yushi Zhongcheng, but he was demoted for prohibiting evil money, and now he has meritorious service , it would be appropriate to let him be the doctor of the censor; there is also Yu Wenrong, who advocated Kuohu and supervised Kuohu in the Eastern Capital for several years. Since the emperor had this intention, Zhang said that he did not dare to fight head-on, so he said in a roundabout way: "Your Majesty, these two people should be qualified to serve in Yushitai. I am a little worried. They don't study much, so their vision will be limited. . Yushitai has the duty of upholding the court, they are the officials, and their vision and insight are higher than that of ordinary officials." When Li Longji saw Zhang Shuo put forward such an argument again, he heard the words and said: "Zhang Qing, they have not been born in the imperial examination because of their shortcomings. But there are also advantages. They understand their own shortcomings and work harder when dealing with politics. The so-called "diligence" Compensation is also true. The reason why Kuohu is successful is precisely because they work hard out of a public heart, which is an example." Zhang said that seeing the emperor's determination, he didn't dare to obstruct him any further, so he bowed and said, "I obey the order." "Okay, you go to draw up the decree now. Well, Cui Rizhi will not be idle anymore, so I will appoint him as General Jinwu. He is famous for calming chaos in Luoyang, and he still has some military talents." Li Longji inadvertently changed the person Zhang Shuo wanted to confer, Cui Yinfu and Yuwen merged into the main censor platform, and they later learned the detailed process of this conferment, and the two secretly hated Zhang Shuo from then on. Cui Yinfu was the doctor of the censor, and Yu Wenrong was the censor Zhongcheng. The two of them, one master and one deputy, presided over the censor platform. Li Linfu also entered the censor platform soon and became the censor of the procuratorate, a sixth-rank position. In order to thank the two for their support and support, Li Linfu invited the two of them to the mansion as guests for a drink in the mansion that night. When the banquet was hot and the wine was hot, Cui Yinfu and Yu Wenrong couldn't help but think of Zhang Shuo, and slowly began to speak disrespectfully. Cui Yinfu scolded: "In the past, wolves and rats only knew how to lick the heels of slaves' boots. Once the power is in hand, they will follow orders." , so it was criticized by the world. Yu Wenrong was also very proud, and said: "It's still Shengshang Shengming. We have done some specific things, and the Holy Majesty is in his eyes. Zhang said that he wanted to play tricks this time, but he was seen through by the Holy Majesty. Haha, I think Zhang said that this will be done." It must be very frustrating." Cui Yinfu said sincerely: "Yes, yes, you really have a far-reaching vision when you advocate closing accounts. Hehe, I was banned from being demoted for bad money, but unexpectedly turned around because of closing accounts. Alas, in fact, this doctor of the imperial censor should be yours." Yes, it is most suitable for me to continue to be my censor Zhongcheng." Yu Wenrong said: "Brother Cui, why did you say that? We are on the same stage as bureaucrats, so why should we divide each other? When we encounter problems in the future, we can discuss it several times. As long as someone has a good idea, we will act according to our words. " "That is, that is." Cui Yinfu nodded in agreement. Yu Wenrong said: "From now on, we will focus on those people Zhang said. As long as they make mistakes, we can impeach them. Hehe, they are all in important positions. As long as they act, they will make mistakes. How much do we impeach?" After a long time, the Holy Majesty will get impatient with them." Cui Yinfu praised: "That's right, Yushitai strictly abides by his duties, and doing so is in line with His Majesty's wishes." Li Linfu is younger than the two of them, and for their subordinates, today he set up a drink to treat each other, but he waited attentively and did not dare to interrupt casually.After listening to the two of them talking a lot, he felt hesitant, so he held up a cup and said, "You two elder brothers, let me toast you again." The three of them drank together. Li Linfu got up and took the pot to pour the wine. He was a cautious person. After the banquet, his family members were not allowed to enter, and he closed the door so that the family members could not hear them talking. Li Linfu returned to his seat, cupped his hands and said: "My brother has some ideas in his mind, and I ask the two elder brothers to criticize." Cui Yinfu chuckled and said: "Although Brother Nu is young, he is older than us. Your words must have been carefully thought out, so let's say it." Li Linfu said: "What the two elder brothers said just now, I don't agree with you. I think that telling Zhang that these people should not be impeached too often, but should let them go." "Why does this make sense?" Yu Wenrong asked in surprise. "The two elder brothers should see that the Holy Majesty is very strict in choosing candidates. Now that Zhang Shuo is the prime minister, the Holy Majesty will definitely have expectations. After Zhang Shuo took office, he really lived up to everyone's expectations. The two moves are both generous, and the Holy Majesty commends them." Cui Yinfu nodded and said, "That's right, that's right." Li Linfu went on to say: "Zhang Shuo has been Prime Minister for less than two years, and there are few shortcomings in his governance, and the country is becoming more and more prosperous. The Holy Majesty has added trust to him. If we impeach him frequently, the Holy Majesty will definitely think that we are doing it to vent our personal anger." Cui Yinfu and Yu Wenrong looked at each other and nodded, expressing their approval. "In this way, it's a bit of a surprise. Brother Yu thinks that we don't pick on their faults and focus on flattery. Brother Yuwen was right just now. They are all in important positions. How can there be no faults? We don't pick on their minor faults. Find a fatal flaw, and then kill it with one move!" After Li Linfu finished speaking, he cupped his hands and said, "This is the humble opinion of my foolish brother, and I hope the two elder brothers will criticize it." The two didn't answer for a moment, they were both deeply shocked: this son is young, but he has such a scheming heart.If it takes time, how can it be achieved! Since the death of Mo Shui, the Turkic people's pressure on the Northwest Territory has been reduced, Anxi Dufu and Beiting Dufu have found a rare peace, and their business travel roads are also unimpeded. Guo Qianquan was the protector of Beiting for a long time, and he was famous for beheading Tong Russia, the son of Mo Chuu, so that the Turks did not dare to provoke easily.However, last winter, Guo Qianquan suddenly contracted a disease and died, so he died in the army.Although Guo Qianquan died, the Turkic people are now scattered and unable to attack, so the frontier is peaceful. The Turkic people are fine, but the Tibetan people are just around the corner.One day, they raised their troops and captured Shibao City. Shibao City was originally the territory of Tuyuhun. After King Tuyuhun attached to Datang, this land also belonged to Datang.When Tubo saw that Tuyuhun had returned to the Tang Dynasty, he immediately felt threatened, so he repeatedly invaded the Tang Dynasty.They attacked the ground of Shibao City, thinking that this is the only way to enter the Hexi area, so they built a city here because of the mountains to store food and equipment, and then threatened the ground in Hexi and Longyou. After the civil strife in Tubo, its power declined, and Shibao City changed hands and was controlled by Tang soldiers.Now Tang Bing was careless for a while, and Shibao City was taken away again. Xiao Song was the envoy of Hexi Jiedu at that time. At this time, the imperial court issued a document to reform the military system. Xiao Song was overjoyed when he saw it, so he thought of a person and asked him to enter the account. Zhizhi, there is an opportunity for revenge, are you willing to go?" "As long as you can take revenge, you will eventually be willing to go." This person is very young, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, his face is immature, but his body is tall and strong. "Okay, the imperial court has an edict that we can recruit our own soldiers in the future. How about this, you can choose from existing soldiers, or you can recruit additional soldiers, so that you can train 10,000 soldiers. I will give you a time limit of three months to train soldiers, and then raise your troops straight Take Stone Castle." "The final order will be obeyed." This person's name is Wang Zhongsi, he is just eighteen years old, but he is a person with a lot of background. When Xie Wanxi was the Jiedu envoy of Shuofang, in order to deal with the invasion of Tubo, the imperial court ordered him to also know the Jiedu envoy of Hexi. One day, he summoned a large army and attacked Shibao City with Wang Haibin as the vanguard.In this battle, the Tang army won a great victory. They beheaded 17,000 enemies, captured 70,000 horses, and 400,000 cattle and sheep. Li Longji felt Wang Haibin's loyalty and gave him the title of General Zuo Jinwu.Wang Zhongsi was the only son of Wang Haibin, who was just nine years old. When he met Li Longji, he fell to the ground and wept. Li Longji stroked him and said, "This is the orphan of Huo Qubing. He must be strong and he will be appointed." Shang chariot was enshrined in the imperial court, and he was a fifth-rank post, and he was kept in the ban.Wang Zhongsi was about the same age as Li Longji's third son, Li Xiang, and the two had similar interests, so they grew up together. Wang Zhongsi grew up to be seventeen years old. In order to avenge his father, he repeatedly asked to be a general in Hexi, but Li Longji reluctantly agreed and awarded him the title of General Zuo Weiwei.However, Li Longji was afraid that he was young and full of vengeance, so he privately ordered Xiao Song not to send Wang Zhongsi to fight easily, so as to avoid accidents.As a result, Xiao Song suppressed Wang Zhongsi for two years, and Wang Zhongsi repeatedly called for battles but couldn't, and was so annoyed that he cried out repeatedly.Until recently, when Xiao Song played Li Longji closely, Li Longji replied: If there is a chance to win the few with more, Wang Zhongsi can play at the back. This shows Li Longji's love for Wang Zhongsi. So after Wang Zhongsi took the order, Xiao Song explained again: "During the war, you can command from the rear, and you are not allowed to attack the enemy at the front. This is an imperial decree. If you don't listen, you are resisting the decree!" Wang Zhongsi agreed, thinking to himself that if I get to the battle, how can you control whether I am in the front or the back of the battle? Wang Zhongsi has been in the army for a long time, and he is well aware of the shortcomings of the government's military system.These soldiers who are both soldiers and farmers are greedy for their land, wives and children at home. They are extremely unwilling to risk their lives to charge in battle, and just want to spend enough time to return home.Beginning in the reign of Emperor Gaozong, there were frequent defeats in the Northwest War, and this was the main reason. Wang Zhongsi was determined to train a brand new army, but the time limit given by Xiao Song was too short, so he had no choice but to follow suit. If the time limit is too short, you cannot go too far to recruit soldiers.Wang Zhongsi decided to first select 6,000 soldiers from the Hexi Army, and then try to recruit 4,000 soldiers from nearby Longyou, Shuofang and other places, thus forming a team of 5,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. After that, Wang Zhongsi spent one month gathering 10,000 soldiers, and then two months for training.While training his troops, he was thinking about how to attack Shibao City. Shibao City is built on the basis of mountains, and stands on the basis of danger, which is somewhat similar to the terrain of Yanmen Pass.Wang Zhongsi knew that if he used 10,000 people to storm Shibao City, it would be a protracted battle. Whether he could capture Shibao City was uncertain, and it was estimated that more than half of the 10,000 people would be killed or killed. But in order to live up to the emperor's expectations, Wang Zhongsi must fight this battle well. Twenty thousand Tang soldiers marched towards Shibao City. They stopped in front of a hill two miles away from Shibao City, and then formed an array. They had no intention of attacking the city at all, and put on a defensive posture.The Tubo people in the city saw the 20,000 Tang soldiers breaking the pass, and they knew that they were just throwing eggs at stones, so they didn't take them seriously at all.However, they didn't expect that after Tang Bing set up his formation, many peasant-looking people with shovels and hammers came from behind. They went to the hill and began to dig stones to build a wall, obviously wanting to build a castle. The Tubo people were shocked when they saw it. If the castle was built and guarded by Tang soldiers, there would be endless troubles.In the past, the Tubo people firmly occupied Shibao City, and from time to time they invaded Hexi and Longyou and looted for a while. Seeing that the Tang soldiers began to encircle them, they rushed back to Shibao City.If the new castle is built in front of us, the Tubo people will not have the convenience of entering and exiting freely in the past.For example, when Tubo soldiers entered Hexi and Longxi to invade and plunder, they were easily blocked by the Tang military gate in Xinbao, resulting in a large number of casualties. The Tubo Xiaolun Xinuoluo Gonglu was in charge of the Tang army. When he heard that Tang soldiers were building a new fort in front of Shibao City, he hurriedly went to the pass to observe with his own eyes. He quickly understood the intention of the Tang army and said: "If this new Once the fort is completed, it will become the tarsal maggots of our army, no, they must not be able to build a new fort." Xinuoluo Gonglu fought Tang soldiers many times, and he knew the truth of the Tang army. He said: "Huh, can 20,000 soldiers and horses stop my Tubo cavalry? Well, quickly gather 10,000 cavalry and come here. When they are slack at noon, go charge and kill for a while. You kill soldiers as soon as you see them, even those farmers, and they will retreat within two days." Xinuoluo Gonglu knew that most of Tang soldiers' infantry were afraid of death, and whenever they encountered Tubo iron cavalry, they would rush away. He didn't know that it was Wang Zhongsi's plan to lead the troops out of the customs. The sunlight on the plateau is stronger than that on the plains. Although there are a few white clouds in the sky, it is hard to block the sunlight after all.I saw a round of hot sun hanging in the blue sky, and its direct impact on the ground made people lazy.After being exposed to the sun for a long time, Tang soldiers gradually withered, and their formations became disorganized. The gate of Shibao opened suddenly, and many Tubo cavalry rushed out. The Tang army was shocked when they saw this, and while the Tubo soldiers had to wait for formation after leaving the customs, a Tang general waved the red flag, and saw that the 20,000 Tang army infantry quickly divided into two groups: one group held shields to protect the hill farmers, and the other A group of infantry lined up in a square formation, the infantry in the front lined up their shields, and the infantry behind them stretched their bows and were ready to go. The Tubo soldiers had finished their formation, when they suddenly yelled together, the formation began to move.As they approached, those Tang soldiers with bows fired arrows, and the densely packed Tubo horses suddenly fell to the ground with arrows. Reluctantly closing the door was too close to the formation of Tang soldiers, those Tubo cavalry quickly broke into the formation of Tang troops, they chopped or picked, and heard the wailing sound of Tang soldiers, so after the Tubo cavalry passed by, there were more than a thousand corpses of Tang soldiers lying on the ground . Suddenly, there was a sound of horns in the Tang soldiers' formation, and the Tang soldiers on the hill shrank to defend, and they all covered themselves with rocks to prevent the impact of the Tubo cavalry; Protected by the shield, then slowly rotated back. The Tubo iron cavalry turned back and charged again, but they couldn't break away from this strange formation, so they had to break up when they encountered a strong force, skimmed over its two wings, and then formed a square formation, and then retreated slowly against the Tang soldiers' circular formation. The two sides were in a stalemate and fought and retreated. The Tang soldiers in the circle were free to shoot some cold arrows, causing a lot of casualties to the Tubo people.At this time, they retreated about three miles away, and when they arrived at a wider area, the Tubo people suddenly found that a Biao Tang soldier was standing there, as if he was waiting for them. The red flag in the circle was unfurled again, and the circle slowly retreated to the left, facing the newly arrived Tang soldiers against the Tibetans. The general of the Tubo soldiers saw that the group of Tang soldiers in front of him was even smaller, at most 5,000, and they were in a suitable position for their own side.Hearing the sound of yak horns, the Tibetans launched another offensive. The tactics of the newly arrived Tang soldiers were very strange. They lined up in a horizontal line, with a distance of about twenty steps between them.Seeing the enemy cavalry rushing, the people in the front row held a round shield to protect themselves, and then rolled their bodies to the ground. A hook-shaped spear was stretched out from under the shield to hook the horse's feet; Stretched out the hook gun. The Tubo iron cavalry charging over thus met their nemesis, and after a while of charging, three cavalry stopped and fell to the ground.At this time, those Tang soldiers dropped their hook spears, drew their machetes from their bodies, and began to fight with the Tubo soldiers who fell to the ground. Seeing this, the Tubo iron cavalry charging past were at a loss.Now if they turn around and charge again, it is very easy to hurt their own people, and they can't make up their minds for a while. Suddenly, a low-pitched horn sounded, and then horseshoes were heard coming towards the ground like the wind. Two sturdy Tang army horses galloped, one on the left and the other on the right, and they arrived in front of the stunned Tubo horse army in an instant.Before the Tubo people woke up, the Tang army's cavalry had already broken into the enemy's line and began to attack their generals. A silver-armored general took the lead, wielding a wind-splashing machete and rushed into the enemy's formation first. There was a silver light flashing, and the heads of more than a dozen Tubo people suddenly fell apart.This person is Wang Zhongsi, he has long forgotten the emperor's instructions, and has become a desperate pioneer. Wang Zhongsi's courage inspired the soldiers to kill the enemy. The Tubo general saw the momentum and sounded the horn of the yak. ​​This was an order to retreat. At this time, there were only half of the Tubo cavalry left, and they began to flee. In front of the gate of Shibao City, there are less than a thousand people left. why? The newly emerged Tang army has wiped out nearly half of the enemy. The circular Tang soldiers on the left turned into a long snake formation again, taking advantage of the situation to intercept more than a thousand horses. Before the remaining Tubo horses rode up to the hill, they saw more than ten thousand Tang soldiers and infantry there had lined up and intercepted them with shields. .The Tubo people, who were less than a thousand people, managed to break through the intercepting array, and they were mostly bruised and bruised. The Tubo soldiers were thus defeated. Wang Zhongsi, with his silver helmet and silver armor, led people to show off in front of Shibao City. When Xiao Song heard of this great victory, he immediately wrote a memorial and sent it to Chang'an, in which he described the battlefield in detail, and of course he focused on praising Wang Zhongsi for his strategy and courage. Xiao Song learned that Wang Zhongsi did not obey the order of the emperor and was still fighting for the front line, so he blamed him: "You know that the order of the emperor is not allowed to be a front line, why do you still resist the order? Hmph, you just have some credit, after all It is an irreparable crime against the decree." Wang Zhongsi was a young man, he forgot the emperor's instructions before the battle, and when he thought of this on his return trip, he couldn't help feeling anxious.After he returned to Lingzhou, he did not meet Xiao Song first, but quietly found a military recorder he was familiar with before, and learned from his mouth that the memorandum sent to Beijing only mentioned his own merits and did not mention violations of the order. The matter, the stone in my heart just fell to the ground. Wang Zhongsi replied sincerely: "When the general arrived at the front of the battle, his mind was full of thoughts of killing the enemy, so he forgot the orders of the Holy Majesty and Ambassador Xiao. Ambassador Xiao, I still hope that the general wants to avenge his father, please Cover up more in front of the Holy One." Seeing Wang Zhongsi carrying out his dead father, Xiao Song had nothing to say, so he sighed heavily. Xiao Song was silent for a while, but he still couldn't finish his words, and sighed: "Although this battle was a great victory, the Tubo people still guard Shibao City, which is a bit of a fly in the ointment." Wang Zhongsi said with emotion: "Ambassador Xiao, please rest assured that this battle is just a prelude to the Great War. In the end, the general will have a follow-up strategy to discipline the Tubo people to withdraw from Shibao City." Xiao Song sighed, thinking that the stone castle was built on the basis of danger, and it would be easier said than done to let the Tibetans retreat.However, Wang Zhongsi had meritorious service in this battle, so he didn't take it too seriously when he said some big words. After the news was sent to Beijing, Li Longji finished reading Longyan Dayue, and said, "Well, Father Tiger really has no dogs, and he is another good general!" Zhang said that he was at the side at the time, and he also praised: "Wang Zhongsi has been cared for by His Majesty since he was a child. He is avenging his father. From this, he has honed his heart and made great achievements. Your Majesty, how dare Xiao Song use such a young general? It’s also a good eye to know people.” Li Longji couldn't help being a little proud when he heard the words, and he boasted: "I once told Xiao Song that if I can keep my loyal heir safe, I can give him a chance to fight. Hehe, it seems that generals are different from scholars. Generals often need to change on the fly. To be able to spot a fighter in a moment of change, one has to be brave, and such a person may become a handsome talent. Well, to be a handsome person is to focus on talent." "What your Majesty said is true. This battle has demonstrated Wang Zhongsi's talent as a commander, and His Majesty should promote him." "That's right, how can we reward him for his merits? The loyal heir is only eighteen years old, and he has already become a fourth-rank general. His position is already high, and it seems inappropriate to promote him too quickly." Zhang said with a slight smile, "Your Majesty is very worried. If Wang Zhongsi wins a few more battles and His Majesty promotes him one after another, he will soon reach the first rank. In this way, if he is satisfied, he will not think about it." To be aggressive is against His Majesty's will." Li Longji pondered for a while, and said: "However, this battle is the first victory of Zhongsi's military career. I don't have any rewards, so I don't have any motivation. Let's give him a title to show my love." After that, Li Longji granted Wang Zhongsi the male title of Qingyuan County. After talking about Wang Zhongsi, Li Longji praised Zhang Shuo for reforming the military system, and said: "Zhang Qing, this battle with Tubo shows that the reform of the military system has achieved initial results. Xiao Song said in the book The key to defeating the enemy this time is the 10,000 new troops. There is a saying that one mind does not do two things. Before soldiers were soldiers and farmers, they had to undertake their own armor and uniforms. When they fought, they cared about their family Farmers, wives and children dare not even damage the weapons in their hands. Can such a soldier lose the courage to march forward? For example, since Emperor Gaozong to the present, we have won many battles with Tubo. I think we The reason for Fang's defeat is mostly due to the lack of this spirit." The emperor praised the reform of the military system, which was an affirmation of his administration, and Zhang Shuo felt extremely comfortable after hearing the words.Li Longji said again: "The Zhong Si recruited soldiers on the spot this time, so that the imperial court reduced the cost of personnel transfer. Zhang Qing, will this move really enrich the treasury?" Zhang said: "The minister ordered the household department to calculate, and there is actually little difference between the two. During the military system, soldiers lived at home as farmers when there was no war, and when there was war, they prepared their own clothing and weapons to join the battle. The imperial court was mainly responsible for their wartime food and grass. , although there is the work of transshipment, the burden is not very heavy; after the reform of the military system, since the recruitment of soldiers, the imperial court has to bear their clothing and military equipment, and also exempt them from rent and mediocrity. A large sum of military expenditure is earmarked for the maintenance of soldiers.” Li Longji did not count these small accounts, and said: "Why does the country support the army? It must make them look like an army, so that they will win the battle and suppress the barbarians. Since they have the combat power to stabilize the frontier, the world will be peaceful. The people can be safe and prosperous. The previous military system seemed to save money, but the defeat in the first battle shocked the capital. How can such shock and waste be measured by money? This is very good, Zhang Qing, you are indeed versatile in both civil and military affairs , made a great contribution to the country.” Zhang said that looking at Li Longji's energetic expression, he thought that the emperor was so happy after such a mere battle, it seemed that his mind had changed.Zhang said he knew that when Yao Chong was the prime minister, he proposed to Li Longji that he would not seek side merits within 30 years, and Li Longji readily agreed; when Song Jing was the prime minister, Xiao Gui and Cao Sui ignored Hao Lingquan who had taken back the head of Mo Shui However, Hao Lingquan died of depression after being reluctant to promote him for a long time.The emperor at that time absolutely obeyed the prime minister's persuasion and never opened his mouth to show off side merit.After Zhang Shuo became prime minister, he understood the deep meaning of Yao Chong's proposal of this national policy, and never advocated side merits, it was nothing more than a reform of the military system.The emperor's expression showed that his mind had changed. Zhang said how should he respond? Zhang said that although he has the ability to flatter and turn the canopy, he can still control the big joints.He knew that if the emperors in the past dynasties lightly opened border affairs and resorted to military force, it would often lead to the destruction of the country and the ruin of the people.Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty took over the rich family property created by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. He didn't want to be quiet, squandered wantonly and launched the Liaodong War. He died and the country was ruined after he was in power for more than ten years.Emperor Taizong took Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty as a guide, and formulated the national policy of "helping the people to be quiet, and only emphasizing education", which achieved the prosperity of Zhenguan. Zhang Shuo sighed in his heart at that moment: Why did the emperor love Bian Gong so much and pursue luxury?With this in mind, he decided that it would be better not to encourage Li Longji to seek side merit.He bowed and said: "Your Majesty has appointed Yao Song as Prime Minister. For more than ten years, he has worked hard to govern the country, comfort the people and make the country prosperous. I just follow the trend to make such a suggestion. Your Majesty, I know that Yao and Song are actually two people.此前也都瞧出了兵制的弊病，他们之所以不予厘革，一者因为国家尚需恢复生机；二者认为府兵制虽有弊端，然其兵权实在中央，可以制衡四方。如今兵制厘革之后，边疆权重加大，若其有异心，极易生乱。” 李隆基闻言叹道：“是呀，姚宋二人此前皆有此虑，朕也以为然。你刚才说过厘革兵制其实是顺势而为，国家走至今日，若不顺势厘革，就是抱残守缺了。” 李隆基凝眉思道：“我们此前也议过此事，须有常法予以制衡。边关钱粮由户部拨付，边将没有多余钱粮，终究无所作为。眼前之势，突厥人已不复为患，唯吐蕃人和契丹人还须防范，河西与幽州作为防范重地，其所部皆不超过十万人。哼，他们就是有心作乱，本钱还是差了一些。” 张说拱手说道：“陛下谋虑深远，则为天下之幸。” 李隆基又微微一笑道：“哦，忠嗣此战出名，却与张守珪相映成趣呀。忠嗣拒吐蕃，张守珪挡契丹，天降此二人来佐朕啊。” 张守珪现为幽州节度副使，并兼知营州都督。张守珪与契丹人、奚人相峙多年，基本上将东北境治理安澜。张守珪是年不过三十余岁，甚得皇帝的称赞和器重。 张说看到皇帝又将话题扯到边将之上，不想与之继续讨论，遂转移话题道：“陛下文治武功，天下之人共仰。陛下于开元之初，留心理道，革去弊讹，仅用六七年间，即使河清海晏，物毁俗阜。陛下，如今入河湟之赋税可满右藏，东纳河北诸道租庸，即可充满左藏。其时财宝山积，不可胜计，四方丰稔，百姓乐业。” 张说所提到的“左藏”以及“右藏”，泛指国家仓廪。所谓“右藏”，指设在京师的太仓，主要受纳各州县上贡的正租，用来给付皇室费用、京官禄米、诸官户丁匠公粮，也可用于补充军饷；所谓“左藏”，指的是设在关东的国库，掌钱帛、杂彩、天下赋调，由户部统一支配。 是时除了这些国库之外，每州县还设正仓，用来储存每岁本州县应纳之租，除了向国家上缴正租外，此仓还负责州县之官的禄米给付，以及驿递丁夫的口粮。 开元年间之后，随着粮食日渐丰盈，民间为了备荒自救，自发在各县设立义仓，朝廷看到此举可以防灾赈济，遂将之收归县衙管理，然后据地收税。其后粮食丰盈，义仓爆满，一些主要产粮区又设立常平仓，其中储积，主要来自和籴，有调整物价之意。 李隆基听到张说颂词连连，不觉笑道：“卿如此恭维于朕，莫非有话想说吗？”李隆基颇为了解张说的习性，知道他颂词频出的时候，肯定有其他意思以为后续。 张说躬身道：“陛下新设集贤殿书院，彰显陛下向文好礼之胸襟。臣以为，天下富足，则需礼仪为之相配，所谓顺势而为，若陛下重视礼仪，实为教化之策再上台阶。” “是呀，朕让你们编撰《唐六典》与《大唐开元礼》，正为是思。” “臣以为，编撰此二典颇费时日，京中之人许是知道陛下重视礼仪，然天下人呢？” 李隆基明白，张说正在撺掇自己举行一些大礼仪式了。若时光倒退几年，李隆基断不会听此等言语。开元之初，李隆基焚珠玉铸金银，其目的在于减奢费，若举行大礼仪式，势必花费其多，与戒奢尚朴之旨不合。然眼前国势渐强，国库充实，李隆基的心态已发生一些微妙的变化，其闻言颔首道：“嗯，你说得有些道理。遵制为礼，确实为将教化之旨深入人心的好方法；且国家与庶民日渐富庶，人心知富，更有珍重之心与自尊之心，可以顺势为之嘛。” “臣以为天下安澜，实为陛下励精图治，由此感动上天垂顾的结果。为使今后繁荣昌盛，陛下宜祭拜昊天上帝，祭于南郊。” 张说提出祭拜昊天上帝，李隆基心中涌出往事，叹道：“上次祀南郊还是景龙三年的事儿，时光飞逝啊，一晃已过去整整十四年了。” 十四年前的今日，李隆基以临淄郡王的身份居于潞州。自己的伯父李显为皇帝，伯母韦皇后干政，因恐惧宗室危及自己地位，将一应亲王、郡王都赶出京城。是年李显决定举行盛大的祀南郊仪式，诏诸王回京观礼，李隆基因而得以离开潞州返回京城。 想起那次回京的路上，赵敏已怀孕，其对京城有着美好的憧憬，一路上欢声笑语，犹不能释去李隆基的心头愁闷。其观看道侧的萧萧落木，由此触动心境，遂敷演一曲《感庭秋》。 李隆基当时为郡王之身，他当时肯定想不到自己能成为威权独运的皇帝，且是一位效太宗皇帝之行的有为皇帝。只是当初路上相伴的佳人已逝，令李隆基心头有了一丝遗憾。 张说的建言恰恰说到李隆基的心坎上，他为皇帝准备了诸般演礼的理由，李隆基若不答应就有违常情了。李隆基此时心中也有欣喜，同样为祀南郊，自己前者为观礼的郡王，现在为致祭的君主，两者相较，其中能增加自己多少的愉悦啊。 李隆基算了一算时辰，问道：“按例应当于十一月祀南郊吧？如今其间时辰无多，能来得及吗？” “请陛下放心，若论礼仪所需，有旬日时辰提前准备即成。只是若请四夷来使及外官入京观礼，时辰就有点紧了。” “若祀南郊，没必要让外官返京观礼，他们一来一返，既费钱粮，又会误了本所政事；至于外使，其京中若有使者，邀请他们观礼即可。” “如此，臣速速与礼部和太常寺会商，保证按期举行。” 李隆基大称心意，说道：“好哇，朕授你为礼仪使，全权负责此次仪式。哈哈，你为一代宗师，行此事就有些牛刀小试之感了。” Zhang said he bowed and agreed.