The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 271 Half a Day of Floating Life
"I and other ministers have proposed that according to the Yuanhe feudal system, the Northern Court Observation Office will temporarily set up 48 routes for investigation. Below the routes, there will be left and right hearing envoys in several counties. Below the hearing envoys, there will be commanders and a number of scattered officials. Those who are in charge of affairs and informants below the commanders are called clairvoyants and wind-hearing envoys."

"The various routes are to be visited by the people, with Chang'an in the interior, Tokyo in the east, and Jincheng in the west. Chengdu, Henan Prefecture, Beijing, Yangzhou, Jiangling, Fanyang, Yecheng, Changshan, Xunyang, Guangzhou... set up supervisory offices."

"The Southern Courtyard has three envoys: the imperial court, the western capital, and the palace. The palace governs the Taiji Palace, Daming Palace, Xingqing Palace, Luoyang Palace, as well as the Jincheng Palace, Changchun Palace, and other imperial palaces and forbidden courtyards."

"Nangong Chongyan is the Southern Courtyard Security Envoy, Gao Mingyue is the Southern Courtyard Observer, Shangguan Shen is the Southern Courtyard Supervisor. Zhang Chengye is the Northern Courtyard Observer, and Yuan Yin is the Northern Courtyard Supervisor."

"........."

"This is the initial plan. The problem in the future is the lack of personnel. We can only move forward slowly."

After Yuwenrou finished speaking, she waited for the saint's reaction. She was not happy, but very tired. This matter is too difficult to rely on the Central Court alone. The ability and knowledge of female eunuchs are ultimately inferior to those of scholars, and their scope of activities is also limited. In short, there are too many defects and disadvantages. Scholars must be involved to form a situation where female officials are in charge, eunuchs are their wings, and scholars and military officials are recruited as running dogs and backbones.

This would not only provide a buffer between the emperor and the outside world, but also divide the two, and when necessary, abandon these people as scapegoats, and prevent female officials from completely stepping out from behind the scenes and becoming the second eunuch.

As for being difficult to win over.

Chen Fan is hard to find, but Lai Junchen is plentiful.

Unfortunately, it is not the right time yet. In troubled times, we should not do anything that is not conducive to unity. It would be putting the cart before the horse to intensify internal friction by strengthening the rule.

In addition, once the Security Bureau is established, the expenses will be obviously huge. Relying solely on grants will undoubtedly be extremely constrained. There must be an independent source of income. When the time is right, I will see if I can apply to manage some industries.

"The group of eunuchs selected by Zhang Chengye will be used and seen." The sage made a mark on the memorial: "Except for these, no one of the eunuchs before Jingfu, no matter whether they are good or bad, can hold power. The rest depends on your efforts. I can predict the future 2,000 years ahead and the future 2,000 years later, but I cannot personally take care of everything."

"Also, before you leave Xuanhui, replace all the attendants around Concubine Shu, Privy Councilor, and Concubine Xian. Replace them with new ones. Find an excuse to transfer the old ones to the palace. Wait!" The saint added, "Replacing only the three of them may make them suspicious... Replace all the concubines."

Yuwenrou looked at him deeply. She was speechless and cold-hearted for his cold-bloodedness and hypocrisy. Sure enough, what you said in bed was all lies. Saint, at this moment, I have no love for you. She was also relieved for this. The love between young men and women can only blind the eyes of the king. She was also moved. Saying this to herself meant that in the saint's heart, she was the only one who was worthy of trust: "Only."

The saint returned the memorial to Yuwen Rou.

"By the way, have you mastered the palace writing style and bookkeeping method I taught you?"

“I have mastered it by heart.”

"Repeat it."

"The title should be centered at the top of the page, stating the cause and classification of the memorial, the name, the person making the memorial, and the memorial department. For decisions, the next line of the title should include the date of approval and the relevant persons. The main content should be concise and to the point... The attachments should be listed separately under the main content. The year, month, day, time, and signature should be on the right side of the text. The seals of the memorial department and the person making the memorial should be stamped on the two. The main sending department and the copy sending department..."

"According to the nature of the matter, memorials are divided into ordinary, urgent, and extremely urgent, and the levels of confidential, confidential, and top secret are clearly written on the seal... All files have numbers and subject words for easy filing and retrieval..."

"Very good." The saint interrupted, "No need to memorize it. Keep the sample I wrote for you. Do it this way from now on. When the personnel above the commander level are confirmed, use the accounting method I taught you to make a list for me based on birth, age, whether or not they have children, social relations, etc."

Yu Wenrou nodded and asked curiously, "I have always wanted to know how Your Majesty came up with these amazing methods."

"I can't help it. I am God." I really want to tell you about the world a thousand years later and confess my origins to you. What a pity! The saint smiled and stroked her face: "As expected of a descendant of the Northern Zhou royal family, you are smart enough."

Did ancient China have tables? Of course, but they were inefficient. Fortunately, Yuwen Rou was highly educated and a wise man, so it was not difficult for her to teach him something new. She would have to promote it to the outside world in the future. If she could not learn it well, it would be a shame to say that she had a very low IQ and should not be an official.

"So what? He is still far inferior to Li Lang." Yu Wenrou smiled slightly, blinked her big eyes, and left.

The sage also left Wangxiantai and took Dalang to Linde Hall to meet Han Yu.

The chaotic thirty years during the reigns of Emperor Huo and Emperor Min had caused many barbarians to break free from control or to be on the verge of breaking free. Many of their leaders also became arrogant and looked down upon China because of its many problems. In short, the wings of the barbarians were gradually hardening again.

The Uighurs established a kingdom in the Western Regions and in Zhangye. The Tubo in the West Sea was looking for a prince. The Khitans were expanding abroad, trying to unify the northern grasslands. The barbarians in the Li and Ya areas launched a new round of invasions on Xichuan. The monkeys in Jiaozhou usurped the position of commander-in-chief...

Now, the Dangxiang, who have lost their suppression by Tuoba Sigong, are also ready to make moves.

During the Dazhong period, in order to prevent the Dangxiang from becoming too powerful, Li Chen swept through Guanbei many times, killing the barbarians and forcing them to flee everywhere.

This kind of crusade cannot be said to be useless, it can only be said to be a case of brain damage.

You can defeat the Dangxiang, but you can't destroy Guanbei. Guanbei is located at the junction of Huayi. Once the old barbarians are eliminated, new barbarians will pour in. Not to mention the Dangxiang, which has a large ethnic group, mature clan rule, strong military force, and a certain degree of civilization.

It is easy to destroy a certain clan, but it is wishful thinking to completely destroy the Tanguts.

Unless you have the patience and cruelty of the Qing Dynasty, and spend several years searching the mountains and seas to kill them all.

But this is impossible to do, and it is not allowed by the public opinion and values of the time.

The reason why Li Tang had so many Hu people running dogs was that it was very good at winning over and brainwashing Hu people, and trying to get them to agree with the Holy Tang. The Liao imperial army had a number called the Shen Ce Army. It was a bit of a refined Tang element, so you can taste it yourself. On the other hand, it can also be seen that the brainwashing was still very successful.

To exterminate species is not the style of Li Tang and his people.

Moreover, the barbarians in all directions, including the Dangxiang, did not have the qualifications to be destroyed and exterminated by the Holy Tang Dynasty.

Even if the steps are difficult, we can still defeat the invincible Hu. After defeating you, we have the confidence, ability, and cultural foundation to deal with you.

So, another big test has arrived, and we cannot do worse than our predecessors.

“…The Deputy Envoy of the Safe Depository pays respect to Your Majesty.” Han Wei, in high spirits, greeted the emperor.

"Mr. Han," the saint said courteously, "Please take a seat."

Han Wei sat down.

"In the vast land of Lingxia, there are countless barbarians who have risen up in rebellion. In your opinion, what plan should we use?" The sage went straight to the point.

Han Wei glanced at Li Jingshen behind him and said, "Why not ask His Highness?"

What an old fox! Han Wei made his point clear, and the sage could not ignore it, so he turned to ask about Li Dalang.

"Your Majesty," Li Dalang said, "The northern barbarians are in turmoil because someone spread rumors that they will be forced to grow their hair and register their households, and that they will be wiped out. As long as we send ministers to dispel the rumors, we can disintegrate the barbarians who have been coerced, bribed, and misled, and then conquer the remaining diehard rebels. In three months, Lingxia can be recovered."

There was nothing wrong with Li Dalang's suggestion, as it had always been done this way, but the sage frowned when he heard it.

The bald head, shaved head, rat-tail braid, are truly the barbaric customs.

Wearing tall hats and wide belts, and putting hairpins through holes, are the elegant policies of the sage Tang Dynasty.

The order to grow hair has been an iron rule since the Jincheng Campaign. It has been strictly enforced in the territories controlled in Guanxi and Guanzhong in recent years. Now that we are marching into Lingxia, we should also promote it. Those stubborn and unruly people should naturally be severely suppressed. If you are asked not to grow hair, how can we expect you to be a good citizen?
But according to Li Dalang, I still have to issue an edict to refute the rumor and say it will not be promoted?
Seeing the sage's gloomy expression, Han Wei quickly winked at Li Dalang and said, "It has been China's consistent national policy since the Zhou Dynasty to transform the barbarians into Chinese and universalize the kingly way. The order to grow hair must be promoted, but not immediately. At present, the enemy is still the feudal lords. After the world is unified, we can cut the flesh with a blunt knife. What kind of storm can the barbarians dare to stir up?"

"How long will that take?"

"Soon, if everything goes well, it will take twenty years, at least ten years." Before he finished speaking, the sage said unhappily, "I am already nearly thirty years old, how can I wait ten years?"

Han Wei was choked.

"That's all." Li Dalang was present, so the sage couldn't criticize his teacher: "It's fine to send the envoy, but who should we send?"

"Li You, the Junior Yin of Jingzhao, is capable, and Yang Ningshi, the newly-appointed Jinshi secretary, is intelligent and resourceful. They can be envoys," Han Wei nominated.

"Approved." The sage readily accepts advice.

"Yes." Han Wei responded.

"As for Hedong..." He thought of Li Keyong's memorial - "Since the Chaos Rebellion, the loyalty of the Dingnan Army is beyond words. Now there are countless people in the country who are rebelling against their superiors. If Liu Feng and Zong Yi are guilty of killing Si Jian, then Cheng Feng killed Suo Xun, and Zuo Jie expelled Yan Wei. Why don't you punish them? This is the same as sitting on the same seat but with different names. Reward one and punish the other, so that the vassal states of the world will submit, the strong will be choked, and the weak will take the initiative. This is really not the way to revive the country."

The saint is annoyed. This old thief takes advantage of every opportunity and gets so close that it makes people unable to sleep or eat.

"There will be no more imperial edicts in Hedong."

If you have the guts, you can act like Gao Huan and test whether I am Emperor Xiaowu Yuanxiu. If you defeat me, you can control the court remotely from Jinyang.

"only."

After Han Wei left, the saint looked at the King of De with his hands hanging down. In three months, Lingxia can be restored... To put it euphemistically, it is called vigorous blood. To put it bluntly, it is called impetuous. There is no need to interfere with other children, this is the nature of young people. But for him, it has to be artificially matured.

"In any matter, we should strive for the best result while preparing for the worst. What if I declare a peaceful summer in March, but I don't achieve it in the last three months? In governing a country and fighting a war, we should avoid making random promises and setting random deadlines."

Prince De was confused by what he heard. His social experience was not enough to support him to understand these words, and even many adults did not understand this principle.

The saint did not expect him to change immediately, so he waved his hand and said, "Go and grind the stone into a mirror."

Exercise patience and concentration.

Prince De was stunned for a moment, not understanding what he meant, but he didn't dare to ask, so he nodded and left.

After Dalang left, the sage summoned Liu Chongwang again. To be honest, I didn't expect that Xiao Ma would run away. I originally just wanted to put pressure on this guy, quickly kill Yang Siyuan and the five thieves, and then slowly subdue him, but the result was - the old horse was still ambitious. Now that things have come to this, I can only take over.

Opening up Huling Road was of great significance for the management of Jiaoguang and Jiangxi. For this reason, the court decided to send the last of the Three Dukes, Si Tu Liu Chongwang, as the Minister of the Central Secretariat, the Governor of Hunan, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Jiangnan Camp.

Soon, Liu Chongwang's tall figure appeared in sight: "Your Majesty."

"The saint stood up and returned the greeting, then went straight to the point: "You should have received the news, right? I still need to ask Situ to come. I don't have any instructions on how to handle the military and political affairs, you can decide for yourself. This time, we must deal with those killers and let the southerners see blood."

Liu Chongwang had heard the rumors that he was going to be exiled, and he said, "I am weak and sick, and I will do my best. But your majesty should not worry too much. Your majesty may not understand Yang Siyuan and the other five thieves. Their lack of civil skills is secondary, but their biggest problem is arrogance and lack of self-awareness, otherwise they would not dare to go against the court. Such people are not difficult to deal with. It's just that it will take some effort to kill Wang Jianzhao of Wutai Army and Lei Man of Wuzhen Army."

"I'll be relieved if you're sure." The saint said with a sad look, "Take care of yourself when you get to Hunan, and write more letters."

There is no sadness, but there is reluctance. Not to mention the years of relationship between the emperor and his subjects, and the relationship between the emperor and his subjects, just for the selfless dedication to the empire over the years, Li did not want to let him leave and die in the wilderness.

Liu Chongwang was calm, and he would die wherever he died. The only thing he was worried about was the country: "This time I may really go and not return. I have something to say before we leave."

"Situ said frankly."

"Your Majesty ignored our repeated dissuasion and insisted on conquering Shu and Jin, which ultimately led to the loss of all six armies and the collapse of the country. Your Majesty, have you figured out the reasons for these two failures? Was it simply because Wei Zhaodu and Zhang Jun were not capable enough, Yang Fugong was obstructing them, or the Shen Ce Army was not strong enough?"

"Don't think so."

"Even if we conquer Shu and Jin, what will happen?"

"Why did the Han Dynasty always recruit the so-called good sons of the six counties and knights of the three rivers? Why was Guanzhong occupied one of the three when the whole country was in chaos at the beginning of our country? It was just to defend the interior and weaken the exterior. When we established our country in Guanzhong, Guanlong was the most important. If Guanlong was not at peace, we would fight for Bashu and the Three Jins. Even if we were lucky enough to control them, the two towns only needed to rebel together, and the eight vassals in the northwest of Beijing only needed to enter Chang'an once, and the court would lose what it had gained."

"Maintaining the stability and strength of Guanlong, and using the people of Guanlong to face the four directions, will lead to success in everything. In the Yuanhe era, Guanlong had 180,000 soldiers. When the imperial court ordered an attack on Huaixi, it did not send a single soldier. Although the towns in the Central Plains were unwilling to obey, they had no choice but to bite the bullet. This is the result of focusing on the interior and neglecting the exterior."

"Also, you must think twice before deploying your troops."

"Victory and defeat are common in the military. If too many battles are fought, even if Emperor Taizong is resurrected, he will not be able to win every battle. The army stationed in the royal capital is the most powerful deterrent to all directions. People will scare themselves. If the sword is not unsheathed, people will assume it is sharp. Once the war begins, the strength and weakness of the emperor will be observed and spied on."

"So, be prudent."

"From now on, whether we are attacking arrogant vassals or barbarians, we must call on the princes to strengthen the relationship between the monarch and his subjects while weakening them in the war."

"The inferior overthrowing the superior is a characteristic of our Holy Tang Dynasty. A warrior can defeat a military governor, and can also defeat Your Majesty. We must always be on guard against warriors, and do not trust any warrior in our hearts. We must divide the imperial guards and let them form factions. The more the better."

"You must be close to the good and obedient ministers, and discipline the ministers with impure character, whether they are internal or external ministers. I heard that the eunuch Gao Mingyue killed dozens of children for minor offenses. How cruel is this? You must strictly control her and don't let her fall deeper and deeper."

At this point, Liu Chongwang paused and said, "Prince De has been filial to his parents, respectful to teachers, and humble and polite since he was young. Concubine Shu has followed Your Majesty for many years, and I know Your Majesty well. Even in the most difficult and dangerous times, mother and son never had any resentment towards anyone. If you don't establish Prince De in the future, you must try to protect mother and son."

"I've noted it all down." Concubine Shu is quite popular. The Saint said solemnly, "By the way, some of Ma Yin's subordinates have requested to enter the court, about a thousand people."

"Come and take it. Even with a hundred thousand soldiers, can't you subdue this group of stray dogs?" Standing up and bowing, Liu Chongwang waved his sleeves and said goodbye.

After seeing Lao Deng off, the Saint dealt with some official business for a while, and then went to have a heart-to-heart talk with the virtuous concubine.

Although I don't intend to give face to Li Keyong and his gang, I still have to do the work I have to do. I should explain the cause and effect and my own thoughts to Zhu Xiewusi in advance, so that the couple won't fall out because of Li Keyong. When a couple is united, they can break metal! If we improve the relationship, we can avoid a life-and-death conflict with Hedong.

Time passed day by day. In the Three Wus, Yang Xingmi and Qian Liu held a century-long naval battle in Huangtian Dang. At the same time, Yang's long-time unsatisfied wife, Lady Yan, Zhu Yanling, finally began to instigate her brother Zhu Yanshou to rebel, while flirting with the handsome guards at home, eager to find an opportunity to vent her lust.

Wei Bo was once again robbed by the impoverished Hedong bandits.

In the Central Plains, the Yellow River surged due to the heavy rains from Guanzhong, and Bianliang ordered the breaching of multiple dikes to artificially release the floodwaters. This failed, and the Yellow River flooded for hundreds of miles, drowning people and animals. Officials were helpless, and Zhu Dalang was still fighting with the heirs left by his father.

Wang Rong, the immortal master of Chengde, claimed that he had cultivated the five-colored primordial infant and was named Wanshou Zhenjun. All officials congratulated him, but Wang Zimei and other officials did not. Rong was angry and demoted him to the position of city gate lieutenant.

In Western Shu, Cui Yi subdued Zhang Xiong, the governor of Guozhou (Nanchong City, Sichuan), and marched into Chengdu.

On the first day of April, the saint held flowers in his hands to accompany his second sister-in-law Meng Cairen and his lover Zhang Hui, the immortal celestial being, to celebrate her 34th birthday. The saint felt that beauties would eventually grow old, and he was unhappy. But the good news was that, with his hard work, the big baby Zhang Hui was pregnant, and her belly was already slightly visible. Upon learning of this, the ecstatic saint immediately made up a reason to order the court to suspend the execution of the death penalty, and the evil army added a vinegar cake every day to pray for their beloved wife and son. It's not easy, Lao Zhu, it's really hard to get your wife pregnant. But I won't feel as sorry for her as you do, and I will let the immortal celestial being give birth until menopause.

Within two days, the imperial court issued an edict to redress Sijian's grievances and urge the Dingnan Army to mend its ways.

On the ninth day, martial law was declared in the three prefectures. The commander of the Imperial Guard Guo Meng, the Tiance Army, the Palace Guard Chief Inspector Zhu Jin, and the Four Envoys of the North Gate reported that all the soldiers had returned to the camp.

The Northern Expedition is coming.

(End of this chapter)