The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 122 Cui Gong
In the third year of Dazhong, a young man from a noble family in Weizhou won the imperial examination, which caused a sensation in Chang'an. Prime Minister Yang Shou personally reviewed it to see if there was any mistake... Well, Cui Anqian was indeed a real talent, and all the imperial scholars of the same period respected him.

In fact, he was the son of the Minister of Works Cui Cong, and could have entered the government through family ties, taking the path of Doctor of Four Gates, Imperial Censor, Attendant of the Imperial Household, Thousand Cattle, Grand Historian, and Secretary; but Cui Anqian chose to take the imperial examination. This was also the drawback of the family ties system in the Tang Dynasty... Poor people were eager to get it, but most of the nobles looked down on it and were used to the path of fighting for the imperial examination to "become a god".

After Cui Anqian won the first place in the imperial examination, he was promoted to proofreader, inspector of the three departments of salt and iron, lieutenant of Wannian, Zhihong literati, supervisory censor, and historian according to the convention. After passing the internship in various central departments, he was "selected" for the trial of the vassal towns and successively served as the judge of the two towns of Pu and Jing. This is how he learned to deal with warriors. The civil officials of the imperial court did not understand military affairs and warriors, so their official careers stopped here.

However, Cui Anqian performed very well. After surviving successfully, he was appointed as the governor of Jiangxi to catch bandits. Two years later, Wang Xianzhi rebelled, and Cui Anqian was urgently appointed as the Zhongwu Army to manage this group of bandits who had killed three Jiedushi, and to build the defense line of Dongdu and Ru. Xianzhi's several invasions were unsuccessful, and Huang Chao did not give up, and attacked Xinzheng, Jia, and Xiangcheng, but was defeated...

In the fifth year of Qianfu, he was sent to Chengdu to "reform" the Shu army, which was immersed in comfort and did not want to make progress. He transferred more than 10,000 old warriors from Chen, Cai, and Hanzhong, and used this group of kings to supervise the Shu army. As a result, the Shu army was powerful and the killing spirit was revived. In the battle to capture Chang'an, he created the Yellow Hat City and the Shenji Camp, which became very popular, so that the Chao army turned around and ran away when they saw the Shu flag.

Towards Nanzhao, the champion’s tone was even more frightening: “I will tell your king that if you must invade my territory, you should come here yourself and I will kill you!” Don’t come to provoke me, or I will bury you alive. Nanzhao knew that he was not easy to deal with, so it turned to attack Jiaozhou.

If I were to compare him to someone else, I would not be able to find a match. However, this man was extremely cunning, had a way of dealing with warriors, and was extremely murderous. The key was that he was also upright. When he presided over the examination in Luoyang, he required that the names of the candidates be covered; he refused to see anyone in private. He never engaged in corruption, abuse of power, or promiscuous relationships. All he cared about was the Great Tang Dynasty, and he would go through fire and water just to restore peace.

His high moral integrity makes the world silent.

Of course, he was also ostracized and regarded as a thorn in the eye by Tian Lingzi. But Cui Anqian did not change his original intention, and he would ride his donkey wherever the court needed him.

Um, I forgot to mention that his brother’s name is Cui Shenyou.

After the Ganlu Palace incident, the eunuchs hated Emperor Wenzong to the core. One night, when everyone was asleep, they were so angry that they took Emperor Wenzong to a small dark room and beat him half to death. Then they called Cui Shenyou, the Hanlin scholar on duty, and ordered him to draft an edict to depose the emperor. But no matter how they threatened or lured him, Cui Shenyou would rather die than write. The eunuchs were silent for a long time and took him to the small dark room. When they entered, the saint was kneeling with blood coming out of his mouth and nose... Qiu Shiliang and others sat on the dragon throne and the jade steps, pointing at the saint and cursing: Even if there is no scholar, do you still want to kneel here!
Many years later, when Cui Shenyou was dying, his son Cui Yin asked his father if he had any last words. Cui Shenyou told him what he had seen and heard that night. After that, "Yin hated the eunuchs and was determined to get rid of them." He only thought about three things all day long. Kill the eunuchs, kill the eunuchs, and kill the eunuchs again.

Ouyang Xiu and other historians of the Five Dynasties and Northern Song Dynasty summed up this period of history and sighed: "The disaster originated from Shi Liang and Hong Zhiyun."

The Waking of Insects has arrived, snakes and insects have broken out of their holes, and the drizzle wets the delicate apricot blossoms. The Penglai Mountain with its petals falling is beautiful, with hundreds of green willows and red flowers, full of vitality. In the afternoon, by the green Taiye Lake, the saint saw this bloody-handed husband or the old man... and his dozen trusted generals. Well, Mr. Cui's armed inauguration failed.

Three years ago, Wang Jingwu, the commander of Pinglu, passed away. Wang Jingwu started his career as a rebel, and his son was young. The court was jealous, so they said to Cui Gong: You, go and recover Qi and Lu! Cui Gong turned around and set off without taking his family. At that time, the Cai bandits were poisoning the Central Plains, but Cui Gong overcame all difficulties and arrived tenaciously. There were only a few hundred people when he left, and within three months of arriving in the town, there were tens of thousands of people. But Zibo and Qing are the same as Heshuo. Although - "Cui Gong personally went to the battlefield to supervise the battle, and encouraged the officials and soldiers with rebellion and compliance, and all of them were one against ten." The war lasted for more than a year, but as more and more warriors supported Wang Shifan; the matter of recovering Zibo and Qing finally ended with the killing of Zhang Chan, the governor of Pingyuan, who advocated surrender.

There was war all the way back to the capital, and Mr. Cui stopped and traveled along the way, and only now did he rush back to Chang'an.

"Eat slowly." The saint prepared several plates of exquisite side dishes and entertained Cui Gong at Lingtai Pavilion. Wu Lingxian, Wu Liuxian, and Wu Rongxian stood behind him holding trays.

Cui Gong has a strong physique, with muscles all over his arms. He sits there like a bear or a tiger. This is the first impression of the saint on Cui Gong. No wonder he can convince people with reason...

Apart from this, there is really nothing to be said about him. One could even say that he is not good-looking. Judging from his appearance, when he was young, he might have been a handsome top scholar wearing red and colorful clothes, having his name inscribed on the Wild Goose Pagoda, attending banquets in Qujiang, and being paraded by the Vermillion Bird. But now… his hands are covered with calluses, and his palms are wrapped in rags. His face is covered with wrinkles and cuts; his gray hair is messy and draped over his back. He has a mouthful of yellow teeth full of dirt. He looks like an old beggar…

Can't help but remind the saint of yellow wine and bad horses...

In a short while, Cui Gong swallowed several plates of meat without any satisfaction. The saint beckoned with his finger, and Wu Lingxian presented another plate of steamed black fungus with egg, tofu soup, and honey water. Cui Gong smiled shyly, as if he felt that the way he ate was not elegant, and finally took the chopsticks. This time, while he was eating, he looked at the several commanders standing behind the saint. His old yellow and turbid eyes scanned Zhao Fu, Wang Congxun, and Zha Zhu; it seemed that he was doubting and judging something.

half an hour.

"Many censors have said that Wang Shifan is a loyal minister and can be relied upon by the east." The saint started the topic.

"Who said that?" The greasy-mouthed Cui Gong said bluntly, "White-haired brat, what's the use of being loyal? The matter is serious, so it's still up to the yanei to make the decision. As for counting on them to fight Zhu Wen... Now that the court has fallen out with Zhu Wen, they should send troops under Zhu Wen's threat."

"The Right Picker of Relics, Chang Jun, submitted a memorial saying that if Zhu Wen died, peace would naturally be restored both inside and outside the country." He wanted to hear Cui Gong's opinion.

Cui Gong sneered, "This is the opinion of a corrupt scholar. There are many warriors in the world, and there are countless ambitious ones. Lu Yanhong, Li Maozhen, Qin Yan, Bi Shiduo, Zhang Xiong, Liu Hanhong, Qin Xian... Who doesn't want to call the shots? The nest of thieves surrendered, the clan power was restored, and Cai Ping ruled Bian. Even if a general kills Zhu Wen tomorrow, there will be a bunch of big thieves. People's hearts have been in chaos for the past 20 years. Thinking that Wen's death will bring peace to the world is a dream. These lowly bastards deserve to be slaughtered and buried alive. Just like how I ruled the Zhongwu Army, I confiscated the property of the troublemakers and exterminated their clans, and the rest will naturally behave themselves."

Wang Congxun and others beside him frowned when they heard this. This old guy is really a warrior, and it fits the rumors that he would catch troublemakers, dig out their hearts and lungs, and bury them alive... He is a bloody butcher. How did he get the top spot in the imperial examination?
"Mr. Cui is really brave enough to speak." The sage did not continue to talk about this, but asked, "Reports came from Hezhong that the people of Bian gathered at the military headquarters and persuaded Zhu Wen to establish the country and name it Daliang."

"It's useless to worry about this. Zhu Wen wants to be the only one who can do what he wants, and no one can control him." Cui Gong wiped his mouth, satisfied, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the banquet. We were in a mess along the way, and the last meal we had was a snake dug in Lushi County. I've gone too far; the battle with Zhu Wen will take more than three to five years to determine the outcome. The people of Bian defeated Shatuo, defeated the strong soldiers of Xuzhou, annihilated the elite troops of Yanyun, destroyed Chao and Cai, and conquered for years without any obstacles. Second, Wen has been in power for more than ten years, and his cliques are solid, and the army of the government has benefited, and he can kill people at will, and his prestige is unparalleled. Third, his land is vast and rich, and there is no worry about money and food. Fourth, Li Keyong shouted fiercely, but Zhu Wen only needed a small army to stop him from moving forward. Fifth, the princes are united in appearance but divided in spirit, just like the six countries' attack on Qin, and it is difficult to accomplish anything..."

After speaking eloquently, he concluded: "Before the Bian bandits are severely damaged, it will be difficult for Daliang to change. Although Shao Guangchou, Hu Hong, Hou Song, and Liu Hong'e are against him, Zhu Wen remained calm when Qin Zongquan led 500,000 Cai bandits to the city. How could he be afraid of a clown?"

Cui Gong looked rough, but his delicate mind was sharp and he didn't want to let the saint who was busy all day lose confidence. He smiled at the saint's tenderness and said, "The iron must be strong before it can be forged. The national policy should change according to the national conditions. In the current evil world, it is not feasible to pull vassal states and fight vassal states like Xianzong did. The court must be determined to conquer, eliminate disobedience, kill beasts, and let rituals and music return to the world." The saint stood up and said, "This is a difficult task. I am afraid that in this lifetime..."

Cui Gong spat out the bone residue from his teeth and asked, "Are you discouraged?"

"That's not the case." After all, he was born in exile, raised in chaos, and witnessed bloodshed. His character had long been tempered as tough as iron in the bloody and fiery conquests and plunders of the rebels. After a moment of silence, the sage looked out at the Taiye Lake where the egrets were flying.

He clenched his fists lightly, his knuckles crackling, "It's difficult! It doesn't mean you have to give in to others. Just don't do it. If you sink into dejection after a little setback, you deserve to have your famous weapon taken away. The princes can compete for supremacy, and so can I!"

"To suppress the evil within, to pacify the rioters outside, to eliminate the beasts and bring peace to the people, this is my long-cherished wish; I will not regret it even if I die nine times. For this, I am not afraid of natural disasters, I am not following the example of my ancestors, and I am not concerned about what people say! What's more, Zhu Wen is a thief."

Seeing the saint's reaction, the four ministers Du, Liu, Li, and Zheng who were sitting with him sighed secretly, saying that this was the man who would win the world. Wang Congxun, Zhao Fu, and Zha Zhu seemed to be thinking about something.

Natural disasters are not to be feared, ancestors are not to be followed, people’s words are not to be pitied… Mr. Cui pondered over these three sentences. The little emperor was very different from the Xuanzong, Yizong, and the ancient sages he had met… He was more to his liking and in line with his aesthetic taste.

"Bo Ling Hou was a general and a prime minister. He has great insight and foresight. What he said coincides with what I said." The sage looked at Cui Anqian and said seriously, "I want to appoint you as prime minister."

Cui Gong pointed at his old face and said calmly: "I am nearly sixty years old, my bones are rotten, and I am not fit to be driven. Besides, I have been leading soldiers in battles for half my life. I have seen weapons every day and heard quarrels at night. I have forgotten most of the poems and essays I memorized when I was young. My words and deeds are rude, so I can't be a prime minister anymore."

"Don't be modest."

Mr. Cui shook his head.

"No." The saint stared at him, forcing the old man to work: "Do you want to lead the army to fight? Make him the general manager of the imperial guards, Sima Budu, and the commander of the county, and command the troops in Weibei."

Such a heroic talent must be used.

Among the four prime ministers, the Grand Commandant Du Rangneng is in charge of the various departments of salt and iron, rent and labor, revenue, seedlings, tea and wine, and minting coins. He is responsible for financial management. Every day, he goes out in the wind and rain, either to settle accounts in the Yanzi and Qionglin warehouses or to inspect the prefectures, counties, and government offices. He is not in the Secretariat most of the time. He is the busiest one.

Liu Chongwang was in poor health and often asked for leave. He always smelled of strong Chinese medicine and could not add to the burden. Li Xi had been the prime minister for a short time. Although he was diligent, he was too extreme and easily impatient. When he was impatient, he quarreled with his subordinates and was often impeached. Zheng Yanchang was in charge of the three divisions and military farms, and was considered an assistant to the Taiwei.

It is obvious that what is missing is someone who has fought in wars, knows how to fight, has a deep understanding of warriors, and has rich military experience.

Cui Gong is just right.

The Zhongwu Army, the Shu Army, and the Jiangxi Army were all well governed by him, and he also had a group of generals under him who had been selected by him and had followed him for many years. They could gain his trust and serve him for a long time, so their character would not be too bad.

Cui Anqian thought about it for a while and felt that the sage was weak and wanted to give him a push: "Since the king has the ambition to restore the country, how can the ministers not help him?"

"Like a fish in water." The sage said happily. It is so touching. The once elegant and graceful champion has become a butcher who is more martial than a warrior... There is no hope for this world. Is it really going to be like what Cui Gong said, killing the lowly people until they are afraid and their legs tremble?
"Since it is a time to recruit people, I would like to recommend two more people."

"Mr. Cui, please feel free to speak."

"One is Lu Xu, a small flag of the cavalry of Wang Jingwu's yamen. He is still young, but his ancestors were yamen. He has been learning martial arts and reading military books since he was young, and is an expert in horse lance. He is also a sincere man. He insisted on escorting us back to the capital this time, showing his chivalrous spirit. Another is Li Qin, a descendant of Li Shigu. I just arrived in Zibo and Qingzhou, and I am the first to come to obey the imperial edict. Judging from his words and deeds, he is a good candidate. Your Majesty may wish to summon him tomorrow for a test."

"Good." The sage wants nothing more. Cui Gong said it was good, and it couldn't be worse.

It's just a little funny. The descendants of Li Shigu went to Chang'an to serve the court. No matter how you think about it, it's awkward...

　The last bit of the draft...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)