Li Chengqian had a sullen face, tapped the table in front of him with his knuckles, and said slowly: "In the face of a formidable enemy, we should unite as one and face the outside world as one. I am a ungrateful and suspicious person. Whoever can make meritorious deeds will be able to do it." When you get a reward, there will never be such ridiculous things as having great achievements and shocking the master! Similarly, you should try your best to use whatever abilities you have. As long as the merits are in the country, who dares to deny it and who dares to disobey? From now on, I don’t want to see you To the point where jealousy of the wise and capable is rampant in the court."
As a person who received education from the crown prince since childhood, Li Chengqian understood the importance of "balance".
Because of the different fundamental interests of the civil and military parties, it has never been possible to live in harmony and friendship, and to advance or retreat together. Whether it is overt or covert struggle, it has been the same since ancient times. Such a situation is naturally not conducive to the implementation of court policies and the promotion of national power, but for the emperor, it is an indispensable condition for maintaining "balance."
Once civil and military affairs merge, the emperor will completely lose control of the government and his imperial power will be reduced.
For example, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was forced by the civil and military ministers of the DPRK and the Guanlong clan to the point where he could not even live in the palace and had to go south...
But now, it is not just a simple civil and military struggle.
The navy defeated the private armies from the south of the Yangtze River, and then went north along the canal, rushing forward, and directed its troops towards Luoyang and Hangu Pass. How great is the feat?
Such meritorious deeds are enough to cause an imbalance in the power structure, not only between civil and military forces, but also among the army. Compared with the invincible Navy, which conquers cities and plunders territory, the other armies either shrink into Chang'an and are passively beaten. , or spread out across the shore to watch the fire. You can imagine what kind of rewards the navy will receive after the rebels are pacified.
The civilian officials can't sit still, and the military can't sit still either.
As the saying goes, "If the old trees are beautiful in the forest, the wind will destroy them; if they are piled up on the bank, the current will be turbulent; if they are higher than others, they will be rejected by others." The navy master is so dazzling that it naturally arouses the jealousy and jealousy of others.
This is something Li Chengqian absolutely cannot allow under the current situation.
Not only have the rebels not been wiped out, but they are even launching troops to counterattack Chang'an. Instead of thinking about how to defeat the enemy and win, you are instead scheming here and jealous of talents. How can this be done?
Even if we want to fight, we have to wait until the world is at peace...
Liu Zi stood up in a hurry, bowed his hands to the ground, and said shamefully: "Your Majesty is teaching you a lesson, you are all a humble minister Hu Tu."
Cen Wenwen closed his eyes slightly, his face expressionless.
The battle between civil and military forces is a battle of interests, not a battle of hatred. It is a battle of swords and swords, progress and retreat, but it is also a matter of life and death. What is important is a strategy. Sometimes it is necessary to proceed step by step, and sometimes it is necessary to test. Bottom line.
Liu Zi did a good job in this regard. He not only advocated his own position and let the civil servants of the DPRK and China know to unite with him, but also did not make the storm unacceptable to His Majesty. The scale in between was quite safe.
Li Chengqian's face softened and he nodded slightly: "Liu Shizhong is my humerus and a hero of the empire. I believe that you always put the interests of the empire first."
Liu Zidao: "The humble minister knows his crime."
Li Chengqian waved his hand: "Of course there is something wrong, but it is reasonable. What's the crime? Liu Shizhong, please take a seat."
Liu Zi: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
He turned back to his seat and knelt down. He raised his eyes and looked across the way, only to find that Fang Jun was chatting in a low voice with the neighbor Li Jing, without even looking at him. It seems that the right to speak that I have worked hard for is not considered at all in the eyes of the other party... Ha! hypocritical.
Li Chengqian also looked at Fang Jun and saw the military discussing in low voices, so he asked, "I wonder if you guys have a choice?"
Hearing this, Li Jing glanced at Li Ji first, and saw that his face was expressionless and indifferent, so he had to say: "After discussion, we agreed that we should take a defensive position to avoid increased casualties in a field battle with a strong enemy. We can retreat to the front line of Baqiao to block it." As the rebels marched, Xue Wanche was ordered to set up a defense line along the north bank of the Weishui River to ensure that the Weishui River was safe, and then wait for the navy to capture Luoyang and Hangu Pass. At that time, even if the rebels did not collapse without a fight, they could gather their forces and the navy Attack from the front and back and annihilate the rebels in one fell swoop.”
Li Chengqian and Wei Wei nodded, glanced over the faces of all the important civil and military ministers, and asked, "Do you have any objections?"
Although he is not proficient in military affairs
, but he is not ignorant. He still understands simple military principles. This strategy can be said to be the most appropriate strategy at the moment. It can not only avoid huge casualties caused by field battles with the rebels, but also prevent the sudden rebellion of the remaining Sixteenth Guards army from threatening Chang'an.
The problem is that in this way, the hope of changing the situation has to be pinned on the Navy. If the strategy is achieved as scheduled, the Navy's achievements will surpass everyone else's and will surely be the first meritorious service of the new dynasty.
Everything is about "worrying not about scarcity but about inequality." Hundreds of thousands of troops gathered in Guanzhong, and finally let the navy seize this meritorious service. How can others be willing to do so?
Military is the continuation of politics, so no war in the past and present can be started purely from a military perspective, but must take into account many political situations, weigh the pros and cons, and make choices...
He finally focused on Li Ji's face.
Although Li Ji drank tea slowly and did not participate in the discussion of tactics, he still felt Li Chengqian's burning eyes at this moment. He sighed secretly in his heart, put down the tea cup, and said slowly: "The Duke of Wei is strategizing, and the navy is powerful, able to advance and retreat freely, attack and defend. Having both, this is the best countermeasure, and I have no objection."
He wanted to escape from the center of the new dynasty unscathed, preserve his power while avoiding his great achievements, but it was obvious that Li Chengqian did not think so. It can be seen from repeatedly forcing him to express his position that His Majesty is extremely dissatisfied with his previous behavior of watching the fire from the other side of the bank. He has already had the impression of "either or". Either you help me, or we will settle the score later.
Imperial power is indeed the best medicine in the world. It can actually transform a person who was originally gentle and even cowardly into such an aggressive person in such a short period of time. This makes him feel that he has made some miscalculations...
Li Chengqian looked at Li Daozong again.
Although he sought the opinions of civilian officials and emphasized the principle of "speaking freely and accepting advice with an open mind," he also knew that each person should perform his own duties and specialize in skills. In the end, he must adopt the opinions of military commanders on how to formulate a strategy against the enemy.
Li Daozong didn't say much from beginning to end. Now that he saw Li Chengqian's inquiring eyes, he just nodded and said, "Yes."
Li Chengqian then said: "Since all my dear friends have no objections, then let's implement it accordingly."
All the ministers said in unison: "Your Majesty is wise."
Immediately, Li Jing, Li Ji, and Fang Jun formulated detailed strategic arrangements and sent generals' orders to pass them on to all parties.
At this time, the meeting should have been ended to allow the military to complete the deployment more quickly, but Li Chengqian picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea, and suddenly said: "Since the death of the late emperor, the court has been in chaos, and because of the rebellion of the Jin Dynasty, the government and the public have been in chaos. There are many dependents at the top and bottom, which has affected the functions of various yamen to a greater or lesser extent. Many yamen have even stopped completely due to the lack of chief officials, and the consequences are very serious. You are all the cadres of the country. You should help me check for the deficiencies and fill them up. The functions of the imperial court should be restored and improved as soon as possible to restore order in Guanzhong and even across the country and minimize losses."
Everyone was a little stunned.
Things are indeed as Li Chengqian said. Since the Guanlong Mutiny, people from large and small yamen such as the three provinces, the six bureaus, and the nine temples have been implicated. There are many shortages of officials in each yamen, and there is a serious shortage of hall officials and subordinate staff. , resulting in sluggish government operations and limited efficiency.
This is indeed a big deal, but shouldn’t we go all out to exterminate the rebels first?
If the rebels are not wiped out, what is the use of smooth government affairs?
Fang Jun raised his eyes to look at the main seat and saw Li Chengqian looking at him. After thinking about it in his heart, he understood Li Chengqian's intention.
After thinking for a while, he said: "What your Majesty said is actually true. The lack of officials in various ministries and yamen and their limited functions have led to the smooth functioning of the government, which has greatly delayed the time and efficiency of laying out combat plans and raising logistical equipment. For example, the Military Aircraft Department … As the prime minister’s military aircraft and defense operations, the yamen should be rebuilt as soon as possible and play its own role in the operation to suppress the rebels. This is extremely important.”
It is obvious that Li Chengqian, who has ascended to the throne, is still restless at night and hungry in the face of the current chaotic situation and turbulent people. He urgently needs to seize the military secrets in his hands, so as to completely control the military power and achieve the purpose of centralizing imperial power, so that he can feel more at ease.
Since Li Chengqian asked him to speak, he had no reason to refuse.
However, the concentration of imperial power has both advantages and disadvantages. It is not a blessing for the empire and the world that a monarch like Li Chengqian, who is not a wise man, has exclusive power.
Fortunately, it's not just that he doesn't want to see the imperial power concentrated and unable to be contained...
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Zi said angrily: "Absolutely not! The situation is chaotic now. Most of the troops of the Sixteenth Guards in Guanzhong are watching the fire from across the bank with ulterior motives. Ultimately, the reason is that they are worried that after His Majesty ascends the throne, their military power will not be guaranteed and they will be left idle. . Now if the military aircraft office is re-established and all military power is vested in your majesty, how can those usually unruly generals be willing to do so? Doesn’t this clearly push them to the side of the king of Jin? Your majesty, the Duke of Yue seems to be loyal to the country. , but actually he has other motives. He is shaking the foundation of His Majesty’s imperial power. His crime should be punished!”
All the ministers were speechless, are you here again?
Your Majesty just reprimanded me, can you still calm down for a while...
As expected, Li Chengqian's expression changed and he looked at Liu Zi with an evil look.
He knew very well that this time Liu Zi was by no means as simple as the previous "civilian and military battles", but that he was showing off his horses and horses to prevent the re-establishment of the Military Aircraft Department.
The purpose of the establishment of the Military Aircraft Department is to vest all military power in the world with the emperor. On the surface, it improves the delays and inefficiencies caused by the dispersion of powers of various government ministries when emergency military affairs occur. In fact, it greatly enhances the concentration of imperial power. .
After all, what does the emperor use to rule the world?
Not an aristocratic family, not a noble family, not a civil servant, but military power.
As long as the general power is tightly held in his hands, the emperor can look down on the world, dominate the world, and be a true Ninth Five-Year Supreme Being who speaks of the Constitution of Heaven.
On the contrary, anyone can filial piety and impeachment in front of you, even like Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty who was unable to return to his family. A generation of emperors were hanged by their ministers in the Jiangdu Palace like a bereaved dog...
But for the ministers, no one wants to see a king who firmly controls the military power and cannot disobey the golden words. The feeling of deciding a person's life or death with one word, the feeling of being unable to resist knowing that the king is foolish and causing harm to the country and the people. No one wants to bear it.
Now, the struggle between civil and military forces has evolved into a struggle for military power, and even a struggle between monarch and ministers.
