The three of them were divided into two factions. One faction, Li Ji and Xiao Yu, believed that Fang Jun alone could not bear such a huge feat, and the contribution of the prince and Dou Jing should not be negated. The prince's leadership should be highlighted and take the first credit; the eldest grandson Wuji fought alone, pinching his nose and wanting to give all the credit to Fang Jun. Even if Fang Jun recognized the title of a Duke, he was firmly opposed to the prince benefiting from it...
Everyone's interests are at odds with each other.
His Majesty Li Er's face sank like water, but he remained silent. He was weighing the pros and cons in his heart...
I prefer that the King of Jin succeeds to the throne, but if the King of Jin wants to shake the status of the crown prince and then obtain the position of the crown prince, he must win over and unite the Guanlong nobles, and this is contrary to his strategy of suppressing the Guanlong nobles. How to find among them A balance point is very difficult.
Jiahe Xiangrui was created by Fang Jun. Fang Jun did it himself from beginning to end. Even if the prince had merit, he only gave a few random instructions. In terms of credit, it is really impossible to talk about it. His Majesty Li Er knew all these things. of.
However, Dou Jing's attitude had to make His Majesty Li Er think deeply.
The Dou family is a descendant clan. Although it was not prominent among the Guanlong nobles at first, the Fufeng Dou family has a long history and is deeply rooted in the Guanzhong area. Especially after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, with the shadow of Queen Taimu, the Dou family's strength It expanded rapidly and soon became the backbone of Guanlong, second only to the Changsun family.
Although Dou Jing is not a direct descendant of the Dou family, he has seniority, high prestige, and is very influential within the Dou family. Now he is willing to add the prince's name to the memorial, and he is extremely complimentary in his words. It was obvious that he had made up his mind to side with the prince.
Dou Jing's attitude will most likely cause the entire Dou family's stance to change.
In fact, having a supporter like Dou for the prince does not significantly increase his power, but once Dou moves closer to the prince, it means that the division within the Guanlong nobles can no longer be concealed.
First, the Dugu family expressed disapproval of the Guanlong Group's alliance, and then the Changsun Huan incident caused many Guanlong nobles to separate and plot their own plans. If coupled with the Dou family's betrayal, the entire Guanlong nobles almost existed in name only.
On the one hand, his strategy to suppress Guan Long is about to be a complete victory. Since then, the imperial power has been further consolidated and will no longer be constrained by powerful ministers; on the other hand, it means that the support of the King of Jin has been greatly reduced, and the prospect of competing for the throne is extremely bleak... …
His Majesty Li Er has always believed that even if the King of Jin can win the throne with the support of Guan Long, he will inevitably suppress the Guan Long nobles after he ascends the throne. However, because the Shandong aristocratic family and the Jiangnan gentry support the prince, he will inevitably suffer from the eyes of the prince. The attack hit all the major factions in the DPRK and China, and their power was greatly damaged. It was the best time for the imperial power to be further concentrated.
Qin Shihuang ordered the whole world to obey. Even if it was a tyranny such as burning books and harassing Confucians, few scholars in the world would dare to resist. Even if 300,000 people were recruited to build the Great Wall northward, and the dead and wounded would be everywhere, no one would dare to disobey the order. from.
This kind of ultimate power truly makes every emperor admire and yearn for it.
That is the real Ninth Five Supreme Being, the Lord of the world!
Any emperor who has some pursuits will strive for life with the goal of concentrating imperial power under Qin Shihuang. However, various power constraints in the court have resulted in that, except for a few emperors such as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, most emperors can only look back and sigh with regret...
As for the current situation of the Tang Dynasty, even though the Guanlong aristocracy was in a state of disintegration, the restrictions and threats to the imperial power were still more fierce than those of the Jiangnan gentry and Shandong aristocratic families who had been suppressed many times far away from the center. The concentration and distribution of power were certain. Periodically, from the decline of the Guanlong aristocracy to the rise of the Shandong aristocratic families and the Jiangnan gentry, to the imperial power and the Shandong aristocratic families and the Jiangnan gentry beginning to suppress them, the rise of other forces took at least fifty years.
Nearly a period of time is enough for the center to concentrate on exerting its strength.
By the time the Shandong aristocratic families and the Jiangnan gentry slowly developed and consolidated enough to restrain the imperial power and occupy the court, the imperial examination system had already made great progress. By then, countless students from poor families would fill the court and county offices. In the meantime, the influence of the aristocratic family will no longer be what it used to be.
This is basically the direction of the Tang Dynasty's regime in the next sixty years.
Of course, the first key is to try to contain the threat of the Guanlong nobles to the imperial power...
In comparison, the ownership of the crown prince seems to have become less important.
His Majesty Li Er pondered for a long time before making up his mind and slowly said: "In that case, at tomorrow's political affairs hall meeting, all your beloved ministers will submit a proposal to grant the prince the power to supervise the country and grant Fang Jun the title of Duke of Yue. I confer Dou Jing with the title of Marquis of Pengyuan, and the other meritorious officials are ordered to screen and select them, and they will all receive heavy rewards. As for Li Zhen, the king of Yue, I will change him to the title of King Chen."
"Chen" was one of the big states among the vassal states of the Zhou Dynasty. Qi Zuoyu, the founder of the Shang clan, made great achievements in controlling floods and was granted the title of Shang. Later he migrated. Later generations called the ruined place where the Shang clan lived "Shangqiu", and later became the Shang Dynasty. The earliest capital city of the dynasty. When King Wu conquered Zhou and established the Zhou Dynasty, he named this place Chen State, which became the source of China in the world.
Previously, Chen Guogong and Hou Junji had fiefdomed here. Hou Junji was executed for rebelling. Although His Majesty Li Er remembered his past achievements and did not execute the whole family, the title and fiefdom were also lifted, and now it is bestowed upon Li Zhen.
Compared with Yue Di, Chen Di is obviously more prosperous and prosperous, and has a higher status.
Li Ji and Xiao Yu said in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"
Changsun Wuji looked ugly. It could be seen that His Majesty Li Er had made up his mind, and he did not dare to say more. After all, now is no longer the same as in the past. He is no longer a powerful official that His Majesty Li Er needs to win over and reuse. If he insists on contradicting His Majesty Li Er, the emperor will initiate a stubborn move. If he gets angry, he won't get any good results.
When His Majesty Li Er saw that Changsun Wuji was silent, he said: "Since the three lovers have no objections, let's go to the political hall tomorrow to settle the matter."
These three people are the pillars of the imperial court. After Cen Wenwen was promoted to Zhongshu Ling, his health deteriorated. He stayed in the mansion for twenty days in January for recuperation and treatment. Government affairs were handled daily by two ministers of Zhongshu, and they gradually faded away from the center. The trend is that as long as these three people agree, the political hall will be just a formality.
All three people nodded: "I will obey your Majesty's will!"
After the important matters were agreed upon, His Majesty Li Er relaxed. After all, once a decision has been made, it cannot be changed half-heartedly. He smiled and said: "This auspicious occasion of Jiahe is truly a grand event for the ages, and it is no less than the contribution of Hou Ji! It should be announced to the world. , all people will be happy together.”
Li Ji hurriedly said: "The ministers have this intention. Later, they gathered officials from the Shangshu Province to draft an announcement. Please read it and announce it to the world, so that all the subjects of the Tang Dynasty can feel such a grand event. It will be inevitable." The people's morale is stable and their morale is high. Everyone, both civilian and military, is grateful for His Majesty's kindness. With everyone working hard and forging ahead, the Eastern Expedition starting next spring will be unstoppable and invincible!"
"Haha! If this is really the case, it must be regarded as a great achievement of Fang Jun. Is it possible that I really want to give him the gift of Jiuxi in the future? However, this kid has always been misbehaving and does not know how to make progress. I am afraid that he is not as good as those who have received the gift of Jiuxi in the past. The ability and courage of a country’s pillar.”
"Your Majesty, think twice! How can you grant the gift of Jiuxi lightly? Even if Fang Shaobao has outstanding merits, he cannot accept this kind of courtesy. After all, Fang Shaobao is so old. If he had received such a unique gift early, Xun, it’s not a good thing.”
Li Ji spoke hurriedly, trying to dispel His Majesty Li Er's idea.
The "Gift of Nine Tins" seems to be unparalleled in glory, but how can it be so comfortable? A meritorious service is unparalleled in the world. Once awarded, it will definitely become the target of public criticism. Moreover, such special honors are already the pinnacle of human ministers. From now on, there will be no titles, no rewards, and no political future to pursue. I am afraid that this will breed Out of disobedience, he covets the supreme throne...
He regards Fang Jun as his nephew, and he also knows that Fang Jun values loyalty and affection. As long as he can take good care of him and rely on his deep friendship with his son, he will definitely take care of the Li family and help protect the Li family in the next few decades. Although generations have been prosperous, they absolutely do not want Fang Jun to develop a disobedient heart and drag the Li family into an abyss of eternal destruction.
Changsun Wuji said from the side: "What the British Lord said is a bit biased. Not only is His Majesty's heart clear about Fang Jun's achievements, but also our courtiers and the people of the world, who are not well aware of and admire them? Leader The fleet conquered cities and territories overseas, sent out soldiers to destroy Xue Yantuo, and donated gunpowder, glass and other technologies. Now, it has brought good fortune and auspiciousness from the sky, one after another, each one of which is not protected by the sky and shakes the ancients. Shuo Jin’s unparalleled achievements? Jiuxi’s gift is well deserved!”
His Majesty Li Er stroked his beard and looked at the two people arguing in front of him, his smile gradually faded.
