East Palace.
"So, Wang Jiaoyu defeated the Tibetans as soon as he arrived in Songzhou?" Li Hong asked excitedly, with a full smile on his face.
"That's right, Your Highness the Crown Prince!" The chamberlain smiled and said, "I just heard about it outside. I can't be wrong."
"Okay, okay!" Li Hong stood up, paced back and forth behind the desk, and said repeatedly: "Fortunately, Wang Jiaoyu did not agree to my request to stay in the East Palace when he was in Chang'an. Otherwise, wouldn't my Datang be missing? A famous general!"
"Your Highness's words are very inappropriate!" said a bearded man next to him: "As a minister, it is good to kill enemies on the frontier and make meritorious service. What's wrong with serving the prince in the East Palace? His Highness praised Wang Wenzuo so much that the East Palace After hearing this, I'm afraid I have other ideas in mind! As the crown prince of the country, your words and deeds are related to the country, so you must be careful with what you say!"
"What Zhang Zuoshi said is true, I understand!" Li Hong nodded. It turned out that the bearded man was named Zhang Wenguan, who served as the Minister of Dongtai (later renamed the Minister of Huangmen), the third rank of East and West Taiwan, and the crown prince Zuo Shuzi. Manage the affairs of Zuo Shi; the third rank of Tongxitai is another name for the third rank of Tongzhongshu. This person was already one of the prime ministers of the Tang Dynasty at that time, and the prince Zuo Shuzi was the minister of the Eastern Palace. Wang Wenzuoru had allowed Li Hong to stay. In Chang'an, most of them would be ranked below them.
"It is indeed a blessing for the country that His Highness is willing to accept my humble opinion!" Zhang Wenguan said: "But Wang Wenzuo's victory this time is indeed a good thing. After all, the Tang Dynasty will use troops against Tubo next year!"
"Yes!" Li Hong nodded excitedly: "A few days ago, when I went to Tai Chi Palace to save the city, I heard my mother-in-law say that this time the Tang Dynasty will use all its strength to wipe out Tubo in one fell swoop."
"Really?" Zhang Wenguan said with a smile: "But do you know, Your Highness? This is Wang Wenzuo. At the end of his victory document to the emperor, he said that Tubo is in a dangerous place with high and cold land, so it is better to take measures slowly!"
"Xu Tuzhi? Wang Jiaoyu said that?" Li Hong asked: "Then how will Aye answer?"
"Don't let it go, right?" Zhang Wenguan said, "The arrow has to be shot when it's on the string!"
Li Hong nodded. Although he was still young, he was very talented and often talked about political affairs with his parents. He already had a good understanding of national affairs. He knew that once a decision was made on national affairs such as war, it would be difficult to change the situation. To change, as Zhang Wenguan just said, so many troops in Longyou, Guanzhong, Beiting, Anxi, and Hedong have been deployed in place, how can it be changed by a light "it should be slowed down"?
"But if Wang Wenzuo can say this, he has the body of a minister, and he will be the prime minister when he enters the court one day!" Zhang Wenguan said with a smile.
"Oh? Why did Zuo Shi say that?" Li Hong asked quickly.
"Wang Wenzuo is the governor of Songzhou Dudu Mansion and is a border general. If the imperial court wants to go to war with Tubo, it will have to add more troops and food to him. The finances and taxes of the states in Jiannan Road will be transferred to his hands. The power in his hands will be So no matter whether he wins or loses in the end, whether it is beneficial to the country or not, it is beneficial to Wang Wenzuo to go to war with the Tubo people. And at the end of his report of victory, he was willing to persuade the emperor not to rush to use troops, which shows that he can Putting one's own interests under the interests of the country is indeed an example of a minister of the country. Only such people can serve as prime ministers and assist the emperor!"
"Wang Jiaoyu is indeed this kind of person!" Li Hong said with a smile: "I originally asked him to be an official in the East Palace. If it were someone else, he would definitely agree. But he refused, saying that Bao Ze was still in Baekje and he refused. Be an official in Chang'an alone!"
"Well, if you think about your robes in the army, you will think about the common people in the world when you enter the court. If this is the case, this Wang Wenzuo does have the body of a minister!"
"Then, when can I ask my father to let him return to Chang'an?" Li Hong asked.
Zhang Wenguan was stunned when he heard this, and then laughed: "It's still early, in fact, I'm afraid the Holy One knows it in his heart, otherwise Wang Wenzuo's official career would not go so smoothly. This is the talent that the Holy One has prepared for His Highness. After that, In a few years, when His Highness takes charge of the country, you can then ask Wang Wenzuo to return to the capital, sit down as an official, and with more experience, you can be promoted to the third rank of Zhongshu sect!"
The two talked for a while, and then Zhang Wenguan took his leave. He left the East Palace and went to the political hall. In fact, Zhang Wenguan just said that Wang Wenzuo was the talent Li Zhi prepared for his son. So why not himself? Otherwise, how could he, a prime minister of the current dynasty who was already too busy with his feet on the ground, become the prince's concubine and come to the East Palace several times a month? To put it bluntly, it was just to deepen his personal relationship with Prince Li Hong and prepare for the future. After all, no matter how many conditions have been required to become a prime minister since ancient times, the most important thing is to gain the emperor's trust. Although I have just turned fifty this year, I am getting sick every three days, so I have to make plans early. Maybe I will take the throne in two years. It is possible to give up a prince and become the emperor himself. At that time, it will be the time for him to show his great ambitions. Although he is now considered the prime minister, the Tang Dynasty is a system of group prime ministers, and there are differences between prime ministers. Thinking of this, Zhang Wenguan couldn't help but have a proud smile on his face.
Arriving at the Political Hall, Zhang Wenguan walked in. Like all human organizations, seniority also plays a big role in the Political Hall. As a junior, Zhang Wenguan, who had just met him recently, had to take on the most tedious part of the work. He sat close to Beside the desks at the door, he picked up his brush and flipped through the memorials and documents in front of him. From time to time, he glanced at Shangshu's right servant Dai Zhide, who was sitting at the top surrounded by people like stars holding the moon. He could not help but grit his teeth secretly. Get back to work.
"There is an urgent report coming from Liaodong!"
"Put it here first!" Zhang Wenguan pointed to the wooden box on the right with a writing brush. It was marked in red. It contained urgent documents sent from various places and must be processed with priority. A few minutes later, after he finished processing the document at hand, he picked up the urgent document that had just been delivered and made a sound as soon as he opened it.
"The surviving ministers of Goguryeo raised troops to cause trouble, claiming to be the bastard son of King Gaozang of Goguryeo. Is it suspected that Silla was involved?" Zhang Wenguan frowned. He was not surprised that the remaining Goguryeo forces in Liaodong launched a rebellion. As the saying goes, a hundred-footed insect never dies. For a big country like Goguryeo that has been established for hundreds of years, even if the Tang army moved away its royal heroes after conquering the capital, there would always be fish that slipped through the net and revolted. But if there were Silla people involved, it would be another matter. As a vassal and ally of the Tang Dynasty, Silla played a very important role in the wars in which the Tang Dynasty destroyed Baekje and Goguryeo. But at this time and that time, whether it was the Tang Dynasty or the Silla, at this time, all had different views on the past covenant.
"Do you want to use the remnants of Goguryeo to contain our forces and annex the homeland of Baekje yourself, or do you simply want to expel the Tang Dynasty from Liaodong?" Zhang Wenguan said to himself. He stood up and walked up to the top with the document. Dai Zhide stood beside him: "Mr. Dai, there is urgent news from Gao Kan in Liaodong!"
"Well!" Dai Zhide took the document and read it carefully: "Zhang Zuoshi, this matter is of great importance. We must report it to the Holy See immediately. But before meeting the Holy See, we must be prepared, otherwise The Holy Spirit asks a question, how should we answer it?"
Zhang Wenguan had obviously made preparations before coming, and said in a deep voice: "The lower official thought that if the Holy Emperor asked, Jin Renwen should be made the governor of Xiongjin Dudu Mansion and the Japanese comfort ambassador."
"Not bad, not bad!" Dai Zhide was also a smart man and understood immediately. He naturally knew that Jin Renwen was a good card in the hands of the Tang Dynasty. This was to warn King Jin Famin of Silla that if he dared to go to his hometown of Goguryeo, If he messed up things, the Tang Dynasty directly deposed him and made his younger brother Jin Renwen the king of Silla.
"Will this irritate Jin Famin and provoke him to raise troops?" Others asked: "After all, the Tang Dynasty is focused on Tibet and is unable to send troops to the Northeast for a while. The Silla people also know this!"
"But have you ever thought about why the Silla people didn't break up with each other directly, but secretly colluded with the remaining Goguryeo faction?" Zhang Wenguan asked. He paused for a moment, asked and answered: "The Silla people just know that I The Tang Dynasty was about to fight the Tubo people in the west, but he did not have the strength to send troops to Liaodong. He didn't know. What Jin Famin said was actually just a test. If the Tang Dynasty responded weakly, he would intensify his efforts and finally send troops directly; Tang Yingying is tough and decisive, but that guy will be honest!"
"Well, what Zhang Zuoshi said is true. If the emperor asks, just answer like this!" Dai Zhide nodded. Zhang Wenguan's analysis made him quite satisfied. Indeed, if he puts himself in his shoes, King Jin Famin of Silla He would not fail to learn from the fate of Goguryeo and Baekje, so he only secretly supported the judgment of the Goguryeo remnant party. It can even be said that being discovered by the Tang people was what he had expected. He hoped to use this method to test the reaction of the Tang Dynasty. , thereby judging the power of Datang in Liaodong, and then deciding whether to place a bet. The best countermeasure against Jin Famin is to strike quickly and decisively to nip his ambition in the bud. He stood up, smiled at Zhang Wenguan and said, "Zhang Zuoshi, please come with me to the Daming Palace to meet the Holy Spirit now!"
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Daming Palace.
"Make Jin Renwen the governor of the Xiongjin Dudu Mansion and the ambassador of Japan's comfort?" Li Zhi smiled: "Dai Pushe, is this your idea?"
"It was Zhang Zuoshi's idea to report back to Your Majesty. I don't dare to take away someone's beauty!" Dai Zhide replied.
"Okay, okay!" Li Zhi said with a smile: "It is indeed the prime minister's magnanimity. Okay, let's follow this plan! The people of Silla should really hammer it down."
"That's what the Holy One said!" Dai Zhide said solemnly: "Then do you want another letter of credence rebuking it?"
"That's not necessary. After all, the Silla people's involvement in the rebellion of Goguryeo's remnant party is just a rumor without any evidence!" Li Zhi said: "Some things must be worthy of their names. Since the Silla people haven't broken through that level yet, Pi, then I, the Tang Dynasty, don’t have to be a bad person!”
"I understand!" Dai Zhide said.
"Okay, if there is nothing else, let's leave it like this today!" Li Zhi rubbed his forehead and looked very tired. It seemed that his physical condition was much worse than it had been in a few months. Dai Zhide and Zhang Wenguan bowed to the Holy Master and exited the hall. The two walked in silence for a while, and Dai Zhide suddenly asked: "Zhang Zuoshi, I remember that you are also the crown prince Zuo's concubine, right?"
"Yes, Pu She has a good memory!" Zhang Wenguan said with a smile.
"Well, I can't say I have a good memory, I just remembered it suddenly!" Dai Zhide suddenly laughed and said: "The Holy Emperor should soon let His Highness the Crown Prince supervise the country, Zhang Zuoshi, congratulations!"
"It shouldn't be so fast, right? The prince is only seventeen this year!"
"Seventeen is not too young, the prince is benevolent and filial!" Dai Zhide smiled meaningfully.
"Then there's no need to be so fast, right?" Zhang Wenguan asked cautiously: "There are two saints in the palace now. Even if the emperor is not healthy, isn't there still the queen?"
"Your Majesty the Queen is a woman no matter what, so many things are still inconvenient!" Dai Zhide said with a smile: "Besides, Your Majesty is already over fifty this year. Your Majesty the Queen is four years older than the Emperor. You have noticed that the Emperor is already older. , but I didn’t expect Her Majesty the Queen to be like this too!”
Zhang Wenguan opened his mouth but did not answer. What Dai Zhide said just now was already a bit taboo, "Her Majesty the Queen is four years older than the Emperor." What do you mean? Could it be hinting that the queen was once the late emperor's concubine? So you are four years older than you are now? How dare he accept such words?
Dai Zhide seemed to have noticed that his words were inappropriate. He coughed twice in embarrassment and changed the subject: "You asked Jin Renwen to be the governor of Xiongjin Dudufu, why did you also add a Japanese ambassador to comfort the country?"
"Silla was originally stronger than Baekje. After several wars, Silla became stronger and Baekje's homeland became weaker. With the power of the Ungjin Governor's Office alone, I'm afraid there is no threat to Silla!"
"Well, you are so considerate. It seems that it will be your turn to take my seat soon!" Dai Zhide said with a smile.
"I don't dare to take it! I'm still far behind!" Zhang Wenguan lowered his head and said.
"Not far, not far!" Dai Zhide smiled and said, "If I guess correctly, we can see it in five years at most or three years at least! If you don't believe it, you can make a bet!"
"Then I don't know whether I should hope to win or lose the bet!"
"Hahahahahaha!" Dai Zhide burst out laughing after hearing this. He stopped after a while, pointed at Zhang Wenguan and said: "Zhang Zhigui, Zhang Zhigui, everyone in the world says that you have a serious nature and never laugh all day long. Only today did I realize that it was not true. Laugh, it’s just not the time yet!”
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Chengdu, Jiannan Branch Du Yingtian handles military affairs and horse management, and the envoy's office.
"Mr. Li!" Yiji Lianbode said with a smile: "This time, I plan to run an errand in Chengdu to raise money for road construction. Please give me your full help!"
"The Emperor has issued an edict to appoint the deputy envoy of the Jiannan branch of the camp in addition to the king. This matter is already under his jurisdiction. Why should he be polite?" Li Jin said with a smile: "The news of this great victory was sent to Chang'an. , the emperor must be very happy, maybe even the official position of Lao Chan will be given to him, what is the trivial matter of raising funds? "
"Mr. Li's words are serious!" Yiji Lianbode said quickly.
Routinely begging for votes, subscriptions, and rewards.
(End of chapter)
