As the impact and aftermath of this Zhengdan court meeting, a large number of memorials and submissions suddenly came one after another from the next day; they were transferred to the Prince's House of Zuo Chunfang through the General Secretary Sheren of Zhongshu Province. Although the vast majority of them are written by officials below the fifth rank.
It includes greetings and requests for instructions from the prince, as well as personal opinions on the current situation and government affairs, and even letters of advice and suggestions on specific matters; there are also many mutual complaints and disguised corrections between middle and lower-ranking officials. Impeachment; and even personal petitions.
However, to the surprise of several ministers, these sudden surges of memorials and submissions were transferred to the East Palace and were quickly processed and responded to with considerable efficiency; there were even complaints directed at specific individuals. The reply shall be forwarded to the recipient in the form of letterhead.
Some of the articles submitted to the East Palace were published in the new "Ancient News and Jin Yao" in the author's personal name, and were countersigned by the comments and opinions of specific East Palace officials. This inevitably caused an even greater sensation, stimulating a wave of letters and petitions from both inside and outside Gyeonggi Province.
Even scholars, students, officials, and ministers in Beijing began to collect "Gu Wen Jin Yao" and enthusiastically discuss various issues raised in it, which became a popular fashion. In a short period of time, the impact spread to Kannai and Shannan outside Gyeonggi Province.
Relying on the hotly discussed topics, a few big fish were unintentionally attracted among the chaos; for example, Wei Xuantong, a native of Gucheng, Dingzhou, who contributed in his own name to "Gu Wen Jin Yao", There is also Xue Yuanchao, a native of Fenyin County in Puzhou (now Wanrong County in Shanxi Province).
Wei Xuantong was among the first batch of Jinshi scholars during the Zhenguan period. Later, he served as the magistrate of Chang'an County and moved to the Ministry of Personnel. In the first year of Linde, he was suspected of collaborating with Shangguan Yi, the minister of Xitai, to plot to abolish the military. He was convicted and exiled outside the mountains. It was not until the Yuan Dynasty that he was first pardoned and returned to the capital. Now he is thanking guests behind closed doors at home.
Xue Yuanchao, on the other hand, entered the official position in the family shadow, and served successively as Prince Sheren, Geishizhong, Zhongshu Sheren, and then moved to Huangmen Shilang. Su had a literary acquaintance with Shangguan Yi, so he was implicated and was dismissed from office and exiled to Yizhou. It was not until the Yuan Dynasty changed to the Yuan Dynasty that Xue Yuanchao was able to return to the capital and serve as a Zhengjian doctor.
These two were also among the prime ministers of the future Wuzhou and Zhongzong dynasties; they were outspoken, courageous and experienced people. Although he has not yet fully prospered at this time, he is already quite senior and famous in the court. Therefore, by contributing to "Ancient News and Modern Essentials", he showed some natural affinity for the prince of the prison country.
After Wei Xuantong went to the East Palace for an audience for the first time, he recommended Wei Yuanzhong, a native of Songcheng County, Songzhou, who was a Taixue student. When Wei Yuanzhong directly presented himself to the prince, he pointed out that "the people employed in the imperial court today are generally the children of generals, and there are also those who were promoted from the families of dead soldiers." This was very satisfactory.
Therefore, not only were these remarks published in an additional supplement issued by "Guwen Jinyao", but they were also given silk as a reward. Wei Yuanzhong also recommended Jiang Rong, a classmate of the Imperial College, who was from Yuxi, together with his "Jiuzhou Danger Plan", which claimed to be a comprehensive record of the success and failure of military use in ancient and modern times.
Subsequently, Wei Yuanzhong and Jiang Rong quickly conferred the title of ninth-rank official of the Bureau of Economic Affairs and assigned him the responsibility of supervising the construction of the Waterli Seal Workshop and organizing libraries in various places in the capital. In a short period of time, using these people as benchmarks, a group of young scholars who pursued knowledge snowballed.
Compared with Wei Xuantong, who showed great enthusiasm for fame and ran around with his disciples in vain, and Xue Yuanchao, who had just come back as an admonishing doctor, they were much more reserved. When he met and thanked Prince Li Hong, he accidentally mentioned a friend, Zhang Jianzhi, the then Prime Minister of Qingyuan County, Quanzhou.
This man was a typical heavyweight in the history of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Jian's courtesy name is Meng Jiang. A native of Xiangyang, Xiangzhou (now part of Hubei). In his early years, he was a student of the Imperial Academy, and was the beloved disciple of Hu Defen, the great scholar who served as the emperor's wine minister. He was awarded Jinshi through the palace examination hosted by Emperor Gaozong in the fourth year of Xianqing (659).
Then, he was released as the Prime Minister of Qingyuan County and has been in office ever since. You know, Qingyuan County is located in Fujian, a land of barren mountains and rivers, second only to Lingnan as a bad land for deportation; it is also a place used to send away those unlucky ones in their official career. The humble position of county magistrate is even more incompatible with being a Jinshi in the palace. Obviously, he had a hidden agenda at the beginning.
Therefore, in the original historical line, he would go to the first year of Yongchang (689) to take the imperial examination for virtuous subjects. At the age of sixty-four, he ranked first among more than a thousand people who answered the policy questions. He was appointed as an official to supervise the censor, and later moved to Fenggesheren, where he began a life of late blooming.
But more importantly, as the famous prime minister of the Wu Zhou and Zhongzong dynasties in the future; he was the successor recommended to Wu Zetian by the elder Di Renjie before he died of a serious illness; it was also the five ministers led by him who launched the restoration of Li The Shenlong Revolution of the Tang Dynasty put Zhongzong Li Xian on the throne.
A legend who was finally crowned king thanks to his restoration. Although they failed to eliminate Wu's gang members, Empress Wei, Wu Sansi and others counterattacked, and were eventually exiled and banished to death. But for Prince Li Hong, who is determined to do something at the moment, he is a particularly rare talent and natural help.
Therefore, after much consideration, Prince Li Hong signed a transfer letter. As the Prince of the Supervisory State, he can transfer/appoint and remove officials below the seventh rank in Gyeonggi, Guan Nei, Shannan, and Hexi; but this power is rarely used. Therefore, this is also a test of the bottom line of the diva in Dongdu.
However, in the face of the current situation inside and outside the East Palace, which seemed to be full of people and busy with everything, Jiang Tian did not hesitate to pour cold water on him: "Although everything seems to be in good condition, Your Highness must be more cautious. Especially in external affairs. There must be no mistakes in public words and deeds.”
"Because as His Highness's influence expands, more people get involved, which also means more uncertain factors and more susceptible to the risk of manipulation. If it is just those scholars and students who are attached to and admired from the outside, that's it, but As a member of the East Palace, we must be strictly restrained."
"Even if you prefer to be deficient rather than excessive when selecting people, you must also avoid being taken advantage of by people with good intentions. Throughout the ages, countless great plans have been ruined by these trivial matters. Therefore, what I advise Your Highness to do is mostly an upright conspiracy. Means; naturally there is no secret to explore."
"But it cannot be avoided that people's unpredictability or selfish desires can distort it, and even turn it into a private means of seeking power for profit. The damage and corruption is caused by His Highness's painstaking efforts. What's more, even if everything is fair and selfless, Why can’t the Queen of Heaven try to restrain it?”
"Li Shengguo is such a good mentor and helpful friend to Gu!" Prince Li Hong, who was standing in front of a screen with eight mountains, rocks, flowers and birds, was looking at a large dotted list of names and annotated relationships to form a mind map. He also calmed down his expression and said softly. Asked: "But I don't know how to say this?"
"The reason why His Highness is doing everything smoothly now is that he is doing his duty as the crown prince; but the Queen also has the righteous intention of removing the firepower from under the cauldron!" Jiang Tian nodded and said: "Does Your Highness think that the twelve articles written by the Queen before were just a temporary response? Are there no other follow-up measures and strategies?”
"What Li Sheng said is true." Prince Li Hong clasped his hands and said: "The Queen Mother has always planned far-sighted and exhaustive strategies. She must have planned this for a long time; perhaps it just happened to be the right time to come up with it first. It’s just that the stakes are unclear to the authorities, so please continue to teach me.”
"The key is the North Gate bachelor!" Jiang Tian said without hesitation: "Next, the Queen of Heaven should convene a large number of literati and bachelors to compile a large number of books. She also secretly ordered these scholars to participate in the court report to divide the power of the prime minister. People at that time The so-called "Beimen Bachelor" is also the team of the future."
"There are many of them who have been famous in the world for several dynasties and have good talents. Therefore, if the prince wants to compete with them, he must use the ability of supervising the country to select talents, be the first to gather people's hearts and divide their power. Only then is it possible. Gain more opportunities and breakthroughs in the future..."
(Wu Zetian in history used this to write "Xuanlan", "Ancient and Modern Neifan", "Qinggong Minutes", "Shaoyang Zhengfan", "Weicheng Dianxun", "Zishu Yaolu", "Fengxing" "New Commandments of Lou", "Biography of Filial Sons", "Biographies of Lienv", "Nei Fan Yao Lue", "Yue Shu Yao Lu", "New Commandments of Bai Liao", "Zhao Ren's Own Industry", "Chen Gui" and other books. Among them, "Zharen's True Industry" is the first guide,)
"Of course, the purpose of setting up the North Gate Bachelor is to divide, weaken and usurp the power of the prime minister." Jiang Tian continued: "Sometimes your highness does not need to stand on the opposite side of the Queen of Heaven. You can take advantage of the trend and add fuel to the flames, allowing the prime ministers to advance in advance. Realize the stakes.”
"But there is one thing that is always unfavorable to His Highness, and you need to be mentally prepared; once the Queen of Heaven directly recruits and transfers people on the grounds of compiling history and compiling chronicles, the talents of the East Palace will even order the compilation bureau to be merged into the palace. How should His Highness deal with the Chongwen museums?"
"..." Hearing this, Prince Li Hong looked a little surprised, and then he smiled bitterly: "If the mother's actions are all dedicated to serving the public, how can she be disobedient as a son? Naturally, she will be happy to see it happen. Only Congratulations on these talented people being put to great use by the country and sending them to the Eastern Capital as gifts."
"His Highness is really kind-hearted and filial to his relatives!" Jiang Tian also laughed when he heard this: "I thought His Highness would try to fight in disguise, or secretly have reservations and redeeming measures?"
"Let's be honest with Lisheng, after all, the queen is still Gu's mother and empress. She is closely related to her by flesh and blood, and has the love of childbirth. Before reaching that point, what openly rebellious position did Gu have?" Prince Li Hong said helplessly: "As for those talented people , what reason does Gu have to hinder their future?"
"The worst thing is that in the future, some people may still think about this origin and old relationship in the East Palace; instead of being filled with resentment and hatred and continuing to run for the orphans, that is the biggest hidden danger and worry..."
"Your Highness's ability to think like this shows that he has the demeanor and mind of a benevolent monarch in ancient times." Jiang Tian also nodded and said: "But there is no need for Your Highness to be particularly concerned about this; the Empress of Heaven has quite a distinctive style of employing people, at least for now. We may not necessarily appreciate these unknown people.”
Prince Li Hong also let out a sigh of relief after hearing this, but then his body swayed a few times, and he couldn't straighten up due to a sudden violent cough; he leaned against the screen again...
