In the Guangzheng Hall, Li Tao, Fan Zhi, Wei Renpu, Xue Juzheng, and Guo Rong sit in a row. These are the five people who hold the core power in the Han Dynasty today. Fan, Wei, and Xue were all of similar age, and were known as the "Three Wise Men" among both the government and the public.
Of course, the most refreshing person has to be Guo Rong. After all, he is only thirty-three years old and he is already on par with all the prime ministers. The emperor's honor and favor for the Guo family were unparalleled among foreign ministers.
There are rumors that Guo Wei's fifth daughter will enter the palace and become a concubine after she turns sixteen. Although it was just a rumor and the emperor never expressed this intention directly, it was groundless and it may not have been his intention.
"Let's talk about how to solve the Yanzhou incident!" Liu Chengyou dropped the report in his hand on the case, glanced at a few people briefly, and said calmly.
"Gao Shaoji is good at military affairs and wants to inherit the throne. He has no king and no father, and is an unfaithful and unfilial person. The court will severely punish him. Furthermore, today's world is no longer the same as the previous generation. How can the Han Dynasty be punished by this person? Otherwise, where is the majesty of the monarch? Where is the prestige of the country?" Li Tao was the first to express his opinion, and his attitude was relatively tough, saying: "We should follow the example of the Feng family in Jinzhou and send envoys with tassels and tie them to the court to regain the power of Yanzhou! "
What was discussed in the Guangzheng Hall today was that there was a situation in Yanzhou. Gao Yunquan, a prominent figure in the northwest of the Han Dynasty who rose to prominence in the late Jin Dynasty, the governor of Yanzhou, died. It was unknown whether he died of illness or something else, but he was definitely dead.
Similar to last year's Jinzhou incident, Gao Yunquan's son Gao Shaoji took the opportunity to seize power and control the military and government, intending to inherit his father's duties. What is different from the situation in Jinzhou is that Gao Shaoji was very skillful. He kept the funeral secret, blocked the news, and secretly controlled Yanzhou.
If Li Bin, the observation judge of Yanzhou, had not found the opportunity to report secretly to the court, he would still be in the dark until now. However, now that the news has come, it is somewhat difficult to deal with it, because the imperial court has missed the best opportunity to intervene.
Li Tao's suggestion, without looking at the details, should be the response the court should have, and it is also in line with Emperor Liu Chengyou's recent attitude of being free from the court's control of Fangzhen. However, the situation in Yanzhou is different from that in Jinzhou.
After Li Tao finished speaking, the hall was silent for a while, and then Fan Zhi spoke up and said: "I believe that the situation in Yanzhou and Jinzhou are different, the situation is even more different, and the handling measures cannot be similar!"
After a pause, he glanced at Li Tao and continued: "First, Gao Shaoji has been in mourning for a long time. More than twenty days were enough to seize the military power of Yanzhou, control the situation, stabilize the situation, and achieve actual control of Yanzhou. and inheritance;
Of the two, the Gao family is a local powerhouse in Yanzhou. It has been deeply rooted in the development of Yanzhou since its ancestors. Over the past few decades, it has been intertwined and has far-reaching influence. The Feng family in Jinzhou was a newly moved town with no local roots, and the Feng family members were unworthy, so it was easy for the imperial court to take control of it. There is a big difference between the two.
Third, looking at Gao Shaoji's behavior, he is quite skillful. If the imperial court wants to follow the example of Jinzhou, it must take precautions. It will not be easy if it does not send troops to carry out the attack. And if we use troops, we may risk outweighing the gains and causing chaos in the northwest! "
After Fan asked, Guo Rong added: "Yanzhou and Gao Shaoji are nothing to worry about, lest they affect the whole body. In the past few years, there have been many hidden dangers in the northwest. In addition, due to the imperial policy, the army and the imperial court are also at a distance. Very suspicious.
If the imperial court holds Gao Shaoji, he will not be captured and Yanzhou will be in chaos. Previously, His Majesty used Yanzhou Gao Yunquan to check and balance Li Yiyin, and the two sides had deep hatred. If the imperial court takes advantage of Yanzhou and Li Yiyin takes advantage of the situation, how will the imperial court respond?
As soon as the trouble-making army moves, Dangxiang and the miscellaneous barbarians from the northwest will inevitably take advantage of the opportunity to rise up. This is completely foreseeable. In this way, the fragile balance in the northwest will be disrupted. If it wants to regain peace, the price the court will pay is incalculable! "
Liu Chengyou listened to Fan and Guo's opinions, but his eyes fell on Li Tao. He found that when Fan and Guo refuted his suggestions, the gentleman's face remained calm and he did not get angry. Instead, he nodded gently twice. With a look of approval, he said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for not thinking carefully!"
Liu Chengyou responded: "Li Qing takes into account the dignity of the court, and what he said makes sense, so why is it strange?"
Of course, there was still something strange in my heart, but I quickly came back to my senses and asked, "Does Er Qing mean that you don't agree to take tough measures against Yanzhou?"
"Your Majesty is wise, that's what I mean!" Fan Zhi nodded and affirmed.
"Now the national strategy is to maintain stability in the southwest and northwest regions. When things happen in the southwest, we will move to the northwest. By then, Yanzhou will not be enough. The troubleshooting army and party members can solve it at the same time!" Guo Wing said.
It can be seen that Guo Rong is now focused on the strategy against Shu. Any other situation that affects the southwest military strategy needs to be suppressed by him.
"What do Wei Qing think?" Liu Chengyou looked at his mastermind, Wei Renpu, who didn't say a word.
Wei Renpu did not put forward any novel insights, but nodded gently: "The views of the gentlemen are well thought out and very reasonable. I agree with you!"
"Where is Xue Qing?" Liu Chengyou asked Xue Juzheng.
Xue Juzheng: "I second the proposal!"
"Since everyone agrees!" Liu Chengyou glanced left and right and made the final decision: "Then we need to adopt gentle measures!"
Coincidentally, after Liu Chengyou finished speaking, a central official came in, holding a memorial in his hand, and said: "Your Majesty, Gao Shaoji, the commander of Yanzhou Yamen, is reporting!"
With his eyebrows slightly furrowed, Liu Chengyou asked, "What are you reporting?"
The man replied: "Gao Shaoji reported that he observed that the judge Li Bin colluded with internal and external forces to murder the commander of the capital and the deputy marching envoy. He took possession of the city and killed them. His wife and other relatives were ordered to arrest him."
The eyebrows of the sword were raised slightly, and he waved to take the memorial and glance at it. His forehead suddenly wrinkled, and he looked at the ministers and said, "What do you think of this memorial?"
"This Gao Shaoji is so courageous! He observed the judge and killed at his request without asking for an order from the court. He is extremely self-reliant!" Li Tao's expression was serious and his words were angry.
Wei Renpu took the initiative to speak this time, keeping a calm face, and said: "From this report, it can be seen that Gao Shaoji's control over Yanzhou is indeed tight. Li Bin reported in advance, and his memorial followed. Kill Li Bin, However, if you want to add guilt and make your intentions clearer, the court needs to deal with it carefully!"
Liu Chengyou's face didn't look good. Gao Shaoji had really offended him and the court. The key was that even in this situation, he still had to hold his nose and admit it.
Taking a deep breath, Liu Chengyou raised his finger and ordered: "Draft an edict, add Gao Yunquan, and with his high name, Gao Shaoji will be the post-resident in Yanzhou and temporarily assigned to military affairs. In addition, the Ministry of Rites will send envoys to Yanzhou to inspect and express condolences. Let Gao Shaoji mourn. He does not want to be a loyal minister of the court, so I will first advise him to fulfill his filial piety to his father!"
Being able to feel the anger in the emperor's tone, Li Tao responded first: "Yes!"
"Your Majesty, Yanzhou observation judge Li Bin is close to the court and can be called loyal. Unfortunately, he was killed by Gao Shaoji. According to the report from Yanzhou, Gao Shaoji still wants to harm his family. The court cannot ignore it!" Fan Zhi handed over his hand and spoke to Liu Chengyou.
"If it weren't for Fan Qing's reminder, I would have almost ignored it!" Liu Chengyou took a deep breath, calmed down, and said: "I also sent an edict to Gao Shaoji, and ordered him to release the Li Bin family without harming his flesh and blood!"
"Where is Li Bin from?"
"Return to Your Majesty, I am from Ruzhou!" Li Tao said.
"Send Li Bin's family to Ruzhou for resettlement, and give them land, money and food. The local government should treat them kindly!" Liu Chengyou ordered.
"yes!"
After giving the order, Liu Chengyou's brows were still furrowed and he couldn't help but sigh: "With such appeasement and allowing Gao Shaoji to run rampant, I'm afraid it will damage the majesty of the imperial court!"
Obviously, even if he chose to compromise, Liu Chengyou felt very unhappy and depressed.
Seeing this, Li Tao advised: "It will definitely not be like this. Things have priorities. What the court chooses is to make wise decisions and take the overall situation into consideration. If you are lenient to him today, you will be severely punished tomorrow!"
After hearing what Li Tao said, Liu Chengyou glanced at Li Tao with a little amusement in his eyes. Li Tao, on the other hand, showed a reserved smile and bowed his hands.
