With heavy footsteps, the road back home is so long. When the breeze blows gently around me, it brings the fragrance of the soil of my hometown...
This is not freehand brushwork, but realism. What Tang Xizong smelled was indeed the fragrance of earth. Chang'an, which has been ravaged by war, is full of ruins, thorns and weeds, and is desolate. There are even foxes and rabbits running around and playing... This is the result of Comrade Wang Zheng's careful repairs for nearly half a year.
Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty issued an edict to grant amnesty and change the Yuan Dynasty to seek good fortune. The fifth year of Zhonghe was changed to the first year of Guangqi. This year's name has been changed well, light is on, light is on, burn is on and restart.
After returning to Chang'an, Tian Lingzi faced another thorny problem: fiscal deficit.
At that time, the imperial court’s expenditures mainly included the following aspects:
1. Military expenditures
Not to mention the original left and right Shence armies, there were 54,000 new troops newly recruited by Tian Lingzi, as well as his newly adapted "Five Capitals". Tens of thousands of mouths waiting to eat, tens of thousands of hands waiting to ask for money... This huge army is an out-and-out gold-eating beast.
2. Official salary
Although Xizong's Chengdu government-in-exile was only a peaceful government-in-exile, it was also the only legitimate central government of the empire. It still had to maintain a complete administrative system and organizational personnel structure. According to incomplete statistics, the officials of the Nanya and Northern Divisions combined had a total of More than ten thousand people.
3. Infrastructure
Chang'an City has been reduced to a scorched earth, and rebuilding the imperial capital is undoubtedly a costly real estate development project.
4. Others
As for Emperor Xizong's personal expenses, he had always spent generously on games and entertainment. Growing up in the inner courtyard of the palace and ascending the throne at the age of 11, Xizong really had no concept of money. He may not have known the true value of money. Coupled with Tian Lingzi's ulterior motives, Emperor Xizong's personal entertainment also cost a lot of money.
According to records, the expenses of Yizong's trip are as follows: "One hundred thousand money, five carts of gold and silk, five hundred for ten musicians, one hundred carts with calfs, red nets and Zhu nets for incense paintings, and three thousand for the guards." Xizong should continue to use it. , and Xizong far surpassed Yizong's father in terms of idleness.
It is Tian Lingzi's top-level design to let the little emperor indulge in extravagant entertainment and feasting. Therefore, Emperor Xizong's personal expenses can be called a bottomless pit.
Let’s look at the income of the imperial court.
Most areas stopped paying tribute to the central government on the grounds that banditry was serious and tribute roads were blocked. The central court's fiscal revenue was only taxes from several neighboring states and counties such as Gyeonggi, Dongju, Huazhou, and Fengxiang.
As a history book, we should strive to be objective, but the editors of history museums often reveal their romantic feelings between the lines. For example, history books say that only Tong, Hua, Fengxiang and others near Chang'an paid tribute to the central government at that time. However, there are also sentences in the biographies of some characters that "only so-and-so paid tribute to the central government in the world at that time."
We can't be too serious. We can only say that this is an exaggerated rhetorical technique used to highlight someone's loyalty and patriotism, rather than objective reality. if you serious you lose.
In short, in the peaceful and prosperous times, all the vassal princes all over the world had to pay tribute to Chang'an to maintain the normal operation of the state machine. Nowadays, most of the vassal towns have stopped blood transfusions to Chang'an.
Fiscal revenue has plummeted, while expenditures have skyrocketed. The natural result is a serious fiscal deficit.
Tian Lingzi thought hard and finally thought of a way to make money.
In addition to tax revenue, another major source of income for the imperial court was the profits from the salt and iron franchise.
Previously, there were salt ponds in Anyi and Jie County (both in present-day Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province), which were subordinate to the central salt and iron envoy. The salt and iron monopoly had always been an important source of income for the imperial court. Now, the salt ponds in these two places are controlled by Wang Chongrong, the governor of Hezhong, and only three thousand carts of salt are paid to the central government every year.
Therefore, Tian Lingzi ordered the restoration of the original establishment, and personally contracted the salt and iron monopoly business (Liangchi Que Salt Envoy). In this way, there is no middleman to earn the price difference, and the huge profits from the salt and iron monopoly flow into Tian Lingzi's pocket.
Of course, Wang Chongrong would not sit back and watch the cheese be passive. He continued to protest, and the court sent special envoys and eunuchs to mediate.
To no avail.
[Turn left and walk together]
Seeking skin from a tiger is of course fruitless.
Tian Lingzi would not place his hope on "mediation". His countermeasure was to move the town, and issued an edict to move the three towns to each other:
Wang Chongrong, the governor of Tiaohezhong, went to suppress the Taining army;
Tiao Taining Jiedushi Qi Kerang went to suppress the Yiwu Army;
Wang Chucun, the envoy of Yiwu Jiedu, went to Zhenhe.
At the same time, an edict was issued to Li Keyong of Hedong, ordering Li Keyong to escort Wang Chucun to the town.
King Yiwu Chucun went to the imperial court and said that Yizhou had just been invaded by the Lulong Army and the Chengde Army. The situation was not optimistic and he did not dare to leave easily. Moreover, Wang Chongrong had made great achievements in regaining the capital and was not at fault. It was not appropriate to move the town easily, otherwise It will shake the hearts of the world.
Wang Chongrong listed the ten major crimes of Tian Lingzi's abuse of power and harm to the country and the people, and reported them to the court. In fact, this is equivalent to a "propaganda for asking for land", and the cloud of war once again hangs over Chang'an.
Tian Lingzi ignored the soft or hard resistance in the second town and issued another edict, ordering Wang Chucun to go on the road immediately. Stop talking nonsense. Do you want to resist the edict?
Wang Chucun had no choice but to follow the imperial edict and go on the road. When he arrived at Jinzhou City, the governor of Jinzhou closed the city gate and refused Wang Chucun entry. Wang Chucun had no choice but to return the same way.
Tian Lingzi secretly united with Jingnan (Xingning Army was renamed Jingnan Army) Jiedushi Zhu Mei and Fengxiang Jiedushi Li Changfu (Li Changyan's younger brother, Li Changyan died) to form the "Central Kansai Army" to prepare for the upcoming prepared for war.
Since Wang Chongrong refuses to obey the imperial edict, then the "Central Guanxi Army" has become famous and will beat you for disobeying the edict.
Wang Chongrong asked Li Keyong for help.
At this time, Li Keyong was actively recruiting troops and expanding his military strength. He replied to Wang Chongrong, saying that he planned to gather the northern barbarian tribes, go south to kill Zhu Wen of Bianzhou first, avenge Shang Yuanyi, and then move westward with a wave of his sword, like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Defeat the Kansai Army.
Wang Chongrong analyzed the current situation for him and said that after you kill Zhu Wen, I will also become a prisoner of Tian Gong. Things have to be prioritized. It is better for us to clear the emperor first and then deal with Zhu Wen.
Zhu Wen and Wang Chongrong had just formed a nephew-uncle relationship, but now, Wang Chongrong betrayed Zhu Wen.
The friends of our enemies are our enemies, and the enemies of our enemies are our friends. The Kansai Army Corps immediately secretly contacted Zhu Wen to express support for him and kill Li Keyong.
Li Keyong issued a military threat to the court, pointing out that Zhu Mei and Li Changfu were secretly colluding with Zhu Wen and wanted to kill me. I could only assemble an army of 150,000 for self-defense. I was prepared to lead troops across the river to kill Zhu Mei and Li Changfu. Li Changfu, go back and kill Zhu Wen and take revenge. Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will not approach Chang'an and I promise not to disturb the Holy Master.
Faced with Li Keyong's threats, Zhu Mei took advantage of the situation and secretly sent her men to Chang'an to carry out terrorist attacks, either setting fire to public property or assassinating the emperor's attendants. She claimed to the outside world that she was ordered by Li Keyong, and at the same time spread the news that Li Keyong was going to Beijing to kidnap someone. Rumors about the Holy Driver.
Tian Lingzi ordered Zhu Mei and Li Changfu to lead their respective armies, together with the Baoda Army, Shuofang Army, Dingnan Army and other towns with a total of 30,000 troops, to attack Wang Chongrong.
Wang Chongrong led his troops to resist and asked Li Keyong for urgent help. Li Keyong led his army southward.
Before Li Keyong arrived, Wang Chongrong had already tied with the Kansai Army on his own and had been facing off in Tongzhou for more than a month. After Li Keyong joined the battle, the balance of war immediately tilted towards the coalition forces in the river.
Tian Lingzi hurriedly issued an edict in the name of the emperor, ordering both warring parties to cease fire immediately, and called on both sides to maintain calm and restraint...
Li Keyong and Wang Chongrong gave conditions for a ceasefire: please ask the Holy Spirit to kill Tian Lingzi, Zhu Mei, and Li Changfu.
When the conversation breaks down, move on.
The Kansai Army was defeated, and Zhu Mei and Li Changfu fled back to their own town. Wherever the defeated army passed, they raped, looted, and committed all kinds of evil. They definitely lived up to their reputation as "failed to defend the enemy but good at disturbing the people."
Li Keyong took advantage of his victory and approached the capital.
Tian Lingzi held Tang Xizong hostage and fled to Fengxiang overnight.
Less than a year after Tang Xizong returned to Chang'an, he embarked on the road to escape again.
In order to ease the situation, Tian Lingzi ordered the "Hezhong Army" to be changed to the "National Protection Army".
Hearing that Tian Lingzi had taken the emperor hostage and fled westward, Li Keyong hurriedly returned to his army and retreated to the river to avoid stepping on Tian Lingzi's trap. If you lead the troops to force the enemy, you cannot take the blame.
