Video Editor

Chapter 1362 Rise and fall secretly

Chapter 1362 Rise and fall secretly
After quickly settling the issues on the Tibetan side, the external problems plaguing the Tang Dynasty were temporarily resolved. As for those small countries like Nanzhao, they were really not worth mentioning. With the current strength of the Tang Dynasty, dealing with them would be like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

At this time, the Tang Dynasty court in Chang'an was completely stunned. Even the empress in Luoyang was stunned. She really didn't expect that Suning and Anxi mercenaries were so powerful. They could destroy the Uighur regime so quickly and even teamed up with the Tibetan Buddhist organization to plot against the Tibetan royal family.

At this time, even the Empress of Luoyang had to admire him, thinking that even Emperor Taizong of the past did not have such an achievement. You know, Taizong's "Heavenly Khan" was only based on the destruction of the Turks.

However, before Chang'an could recover from the shock, a sudden and drastic change occurred in Tubo. The Tubo royal family actually asked to submit to the Tang Dynasty court and was willing to move their entire family to Chang'an to settle down.

At this time, Tang Xuanzong Li Longji, sitting on the dragon throne in Taiji Hall, said excitedly, "Haha, this is great! This is really great! God bless our Tang Dynasty. The Tubo that has troubled our Tang Dynasty for so long has finally been resolved like this."

Prime Minister Yao Chong stepped forward, looked at Li Longji, and warned him, "Your Majesty, this is truly a cause for celebration! According to the Marquis of Wuwei's memorial, many nations will soon come to pay tribute. We'd better make preparations. We must also make sure that the royal families of the Uighurs and the Tubo are settled."

"Well, what Mr. Yao said makes perfect sense. Let's hand this matter over to the Honglu Temple. Also, we'll convert Pingkangfang in the east of the city into a royal residence."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, I, Song Jing, have a memorial to report."

"Lord Song, what's the matter?"

Throughout the dynasties, it was extremely difficult to help others, but it was very easy to destroy someone. "The Grand Protector of the Anxi Protectorate, Marquis of Wuwei, Suning, disobeyed the imperial court's orders and recklessly marched towards the Uighurs and Tubo. He should be dismissed from all his posts by imperial decree."

"What?" Chaos immediately broke out in the hall, and many people couldn't help but whisper to each other.

However, looking up at Li Longji who was sitting on the dragon throne with a calm expression, many officials realized that Li Longji did it on purpose. It was obvious that Suning's achievements made Li Longji think that he was too successful.

Although Song Jing's report touched his heart, Li Longji still wanted to maintain his appearance. "My dear Song, you are worrying too much! In fact, I have long known about the Marquis of Wuwei's plan, and it was I who allowed him to recruit Anxi mercenaries."

"Your Majesty, I'm saying that the Ministry of War and the Imperial Court knew nothing about this. They haven't reported the timing of the attack or the ultimate goal to the court. Furthermore, the Marquis of Wuwei initially told Your Majesty that he was only going to attack Tubo, and didn't mention attacking the Uighurs, who have good relations with the Tang Dynasty. For this, the Beiting Protectorate even sent a memorial of impeachment against the Marquis of Wuwei. Furthermore, the Anxi Protectorate's 200,000 mercenaries far exceed what the Tang Dynasty can afford."

"Well, it seems that the behavior of the Marquis of Wuwei is indeed very puzzling. When the Marquis of Wuwei returns to the court, I will ask him to explain it in detail."

Song Jing then followed Li Longji's lead and made a suggestion, "Your Majesty, the rebels in Luoyang are becoming increasingly powerful. The court has dispatched large armies to suppress them several times, but none of them are ideal. Since Marquis Wuwei is so brave, why not dispatch him to lead the army to pacify Luoyang?"

"Well, this is a great plan! After Marquis Wuwei is transferred back to quell the rebellion, who can replace Marquis Wuwei as the head of the Anxi Protectorate?" Sure enough, Li Longji accepted Song Jing's suggestion.

"I believe that Hanzhou Grand Commander Lu Tong is the most suitable! After all, Lu Tong has served as the Grand General of the Jinwu Guard for many years. Although he has made some minor mistakes in the past, Lu Tong's loyalty to Your Majesty and the Tang Dynasty is unquestionable."

"Can!"

Suning naturally expected that Li Longji would be wary of him. After all, the current Li Longji was not as absurd as he was in his later years, and he was not as good at flattering as An Lushan.

So after learning about the discussions about him in the court, he returned to Chang'an without any worries, and he was naturally accompanied by the royal families of small countries such as Tubo and Huihe.

This time, the tribute from all nations was extremely successful and grand. Small countries such as Nanzhao were indeed afraid of the power of the Tang army, and they really accepted the call of the envoys of the Anxi Protectorate and came to Chang'an. They also gave up their military power and accepted the garrison of the Tang army. All military expenses and expenditures of the garrisoned Tang army were borne by the vassal states.

The Chang'an city on that day was a grand spectacle with streets deserted. Suning, dressed in armor, was naturally as dazzling as the sun. The already passionate people of the Tang Dynasty were cheering wildly, believing that Suning was the unparalleled god of war in their minds.

……

The prosperous Tang Dynasty was a time of great significance, with congratulations from all nations. It was a symbol of prosperity in the history of the Tang Dynasty and even of China.

When talking about the Tang Dynasty, the words Kaiyuan Prosperity will inevitably come to people's minds, and this is also the most proud achievement of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Li Longji.

In the ancient history and culture of China, the Tang Dynasty has always held an extremely high status in the hearts of the Chinese people, and its influence on the world is far beyond people's imagination.

In later generations, Chinese and overseas Chinese living abroad called themselves Tang people and established prosperous Chinatowns. They not only spread China's most brilliant culture abroad, but also attracted foreign friends' yearning for Chinese culture.

Although the Tang Dynasty has disappeared for thousands of years in the long river of history, people still cannot forget the prosperous scene of the Tang Dynasty and their longing for the prosperous times at that time.

Therefore, the culture of the Tang Dynasty is still influencing us in later generations. The recent popularity of Hanfu and the explosion of the Tang Dynasty City that Never Sleeps have once again refreshed people's appreciation for the Tang Dynasty style.

In the early days of the Tang Dynasty, after Emperor Taizong Li Shimin ascended the throne, he swept across various countries. Wherever the Tang army went, all the countries paid tribute to him, attracting congratulations from all nations, who all called Emperor Taizong Li Shimin "Heavenly Khan".

At that time, the Tang Dynasty was strong and the Tang army was warlike. Throughout the history of the Tang Dynasty, it can be said that they were either fighting or on the way to war.

Such national strength and backbone destroyed one powerful enemy after another. Countries such as the Turks, Goguryeo, Xueyantuo and Tubo all became historical terms. Therefore, these foreign ethnic groups did not dare to resist the Tang Dynasty and could only submit and respect the Tang emperor as the "Heavenly Khan".

In terms of territory, the Tang Dynasty had the largest territory in thousands of years of history, except for the Yuan Dynasty.

The Yuan Dynasty had an area of more than 2000 million square kilometers, and the Tang Dynasty had an area of more than 1200 million square kilometers at the lowest level. We also know the ethnic nature of the Yuan Dynasty.

There is a road sign next to the north gate of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. It means that the 9,900 miles west from here are all the territory of the Tang Dynasty, which indirectly shows how large the territory of the Tang Dynasty was.

There is also the culture of the Tang Dynasty. During its heyday, countries from all over the world came to visit and learn about the Tang Dynasty's laws, culture, craftsmanship and other aspects. This fully demonstrates that the Tang Dynasty was at the leading level in society at that time. This can be seen from several island countries today.

And its influence is far-reaching. Even in later generations, the shadow of the Tang Dynasty can be seen in many countries. For example, the Japanese country that makes the Chinese people hate it so much regards itself as the orthodox successor of the Tang Dynasty.

Finally, let’s talk about the pass, which is now a “passport”. In “Journey to the West” we often see that whenever Master Xuanzang arrives at a place, he will take out the pass and ask the local ruler to stamp it. When the rulers of various countries see it, they will immediately treat him as a guest of honor and dare not neglect him.

Although it is a film and television drama, Xuanzang did go to India to seek Buddhist scriptures in reality, and the story was later exaggerated in the novel.

This also shows the power of the Tang Dynasty, otherwise who would pay attention to Xuanzang.

From these points, we can see how prosperous the Tang Dynasty was. It was ahead in military power, law, culture, and technology. All of this reflects the domineering side of that era.

As the most revered descendant of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, Li Longji naturally aspired to emulate the power of Emperor Taizong and become a "Heavenly Khan" like him. Why did Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, employ people in his early and later years differ so dramatically? Most historians view Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, as exceptionally wise in the first half of his life and profoundly foolish in the second.

The main reason for his bad behavior was either that he doted on Yang Guifei or that he wrongly employed treacherous ministers like Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong. It seemed that the emperor made mistakes in his later years because he was deceived by the treacherous villains around him and led astray by vixens.

In particular, the question of whether Li Longji could employ people has been controversial for thousands of years. Some people say that the reason why Li Longji created the Kaiyuan Prosperity in his early years was because he employed wise ministers like Yao Chong and Song Jing, and that the Anshi Rebellion in his later years was because he allowed bad people like Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong and An Lushan to prevail. Why did the same emperor have such different styles and preferences in employing people before and after?
As a feudal emperor, whether he can employ people and what kind of people he employs are important criteria for judging his governance.

Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, are both examples in history of how to use people. Emperor Gaozu of Han not only personally created the Han Dynasty, which lasted for more than three hundred years, but also, in the unfavorable situation of Empress Lü's autocracy and the dominance of the Lü family, the Liu royal group was able to restore order. A very important factor was that Emperor Gaozu of Han knew how to judge, recognize and use people. He let two loyal ministers, Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, lie in wait, and stand up at the critical moment to turn the tide.

How did the Zhenguan Reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang come about? It was inseparable from Fang Mou and Du Duan, Li Shimin's right-hand men, and the constant admonitions of Wei Zheng. Remember, Wei Zheng was a subordinate of Li Shimin's brother, Li Jiancheng, his sworn enemy. Without his broad-mindedness and courage, how could Emperor Taizong have listened to Wei Zheng's harsh but honest advice?

However, as Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, who both created the Kaiyuan Prosperity and triggered the later Anshi Rebellion, his personnel selection has always been controversial. Although he employed two wise ministers, Yao Chong and Song Jing, in his early years, and created a peaceful scene with clear politics and prosperous economy, Li Longji changed prime ministers as frequently as he changed clothes. If he didn't like the one he wore today, he would change to the one he liked.

The same goes for the prime minister. Yesterday they were in love with each other, but the next day they suddenly felt that the prime minister was not to their liking, so they replaced him without hesitation. The famous Yao Chong and Song Jing, including the later Zhang Jiuling, basically served as prime minister for no more than three to five years. This was the first thing that people criticized about Li Longji's use of people.

As for the second point, it is well known to everyone: he replaced the virtuous ministers who were praised by everyone every three to five years, but he used treacherous ministers like Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong for ten to twenty years. Zhuge Liang once reminded the later emperor Liu Chan that he should "be close to virtuous ministers and stay away from villains" so that he could be a good emperor, but Li Longji did the opposite, "being close to villains and staying away from virtuous ministers". How could the Anshi Rebellion not break out?
Why did Li Longji constantly change prime ministers during the early years of his reign? Was this an impulsive decision driven by emotion, or was it a comprehensive consideration based on institutionalized principles?

Regarding this issue, Meng Man, a historian and former speaker of "One Hundred Schools of Thought", has made a conclusion. She believes that after Emperor Xuanzong of Tang came to power, he always adopted the system of the prime minister serving for a full term but not for a long time.

Before Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, whether it was Emperor Taizong of Tang, Empress Wu Zetian, or even Emperor Zhongzong of Tang and Emperor Ruizong of Tang, they all appointed many prime ministers at the same time.

How many were there? During the reign of Emperor Zhongzong, there were three positions without seats (Prime Minister, Censor, and Deputy Minister).

There were so many prime ministers that there was no place for them to sit together. With so many prime ministers expressing their own opinions, no one could control anyone else. So who made the decisions? Of course, the emperor.

The advantage of doing this is that the emperor can control the prime minister, but it also has a disadvantage, which is that it places very high demands on the emperor.

The emperor has to be both the head of state and the head of government, and he has to take care of everything personally. This requires the emperor to be extraordinary energy and very dedicated. Before the Anshi Rebellion, only two emperors achieved these two points: one was Emperor Taizong of Tang and the other was Empress Wu Zetian.

Only these two political strongmen could be emperors and prime ministers at the same time.

But after Wu Zetian, neither Zhongzong nor Ruizong could succeed.

So Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, also saw this problem and wanted to change it.

How to change it? Abandon the multi-phase system and adopt a full-time system.

During the same period, there were only two prime ministers, one was the Minister of the Central Secretariat and the other was the Minister of the Palace; and only one of these two prime ministers could play a leading role, thus concentrating the power of the prime minister.

When the power of the prime minister is concentrated, he can delegate responsibilities and the emperor does not have to do everything personally. This is the advantage of having a dedicated person.

In ancient China, it was always emphasized that the emperor should rule without any hesitation. Emperor Taizong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian could not do it, but Emperor Xuanzong of Tang could.

You have to know that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had a wide range of hobbies. As an emperor, where did he get so much time?
One very important reason is that he changed his administrative style and no longer did everything himself.

Therefore, the elegance of beating drums and playing ball, and the freedom of playing the piano and singing music, were not possessed by Emperor Taizong of Tang, and neither was Empress Wu Zetian very much, but Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was able to do both with ease.

A necessary supplement to the prime minister's full-time appointment is that he should not serve for long.

If the prime minister holds the position exclusively and for a long time, his power may become too great and threaten the imperial power.

Therefore, whether it is Yao Chong or Song Jing, their term of office is a little more than three years.

This not only helps to adjust work priorities at any time, but also prevents the prime minister from monopolizing power for a long time and undermining the emperor.

The prime minister can be in charge and will not threaten the emperor. Isn't this the best of both worlds?

Since Emperor Xuanzong of Tang only pursued the power of absolute power rather than doing everything himself, he knew how to focus on major issues and let go of minor ones. He would hold on to major issues and leave minor matters to the prime minister to handle, and would not interfere if he could. This provided a convenient door for a group of wise prime ministers represented by Yao Chong and Song Jing to carry out drastic reforms in the early years of the Kaiyuan period.

Historians praised the prime ministers of the Kaiyuan era: "Yao Chong valued comprehension, Song Jing valued law, Zhang Jiazhen valued history, Zhang Shuo valued literature, Li Yuanhong valued frugality, Han Xiu and Zhang Jiuling valued integrity, each with his own strengths."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang implemented the policy of appointing prime ministers to a full term but not for a short period of time, which diluted the power of the prime minister to a certain extent and prevented the emergence of powerful ministers like Huo Guang and Cao Cao in the Han Dynasty. Although the emperors did so out of selfish desire to maintain imperial power, it also objectively prevented the loss of power and the resulting political instability.

Given the numerous advantages of a dedicated, short-term prime minister system, which had been in place for over twenty years, why did Emperor Xuanzong suddenly reverse the system after Li Linfu took over as prime minister in the late Kaiyuan period, allowing Li Linfu to remain in the throne, a position second only to the emperor, for 19 years, until his death? Was Li Longji senile or was he deceived by Li Linfu?

So, apart from the fact that Li Longji was indeed stupid in his later years, the most important thing was that he was reluctant to give up the power in his hands and did not want to see anyone get involved in the throne under him, because he knew best what kind of privileges he would have if he sat on it.

Therefore, Suning had anticipated his current embarrassment. Li Longji and those prime ministers would not allow him to serve in the Anxi Protectorate for a long time. In addition, he defeated the Tubo, Huihe and other ethnic minorities at lightning speed, which naturally made his power reach its peak in the Anxi Protectorate area. So to put it bluntly, Li Longji began to fear him.

Gao Lishi, receiving Li Longji's signal, stepped forward, held up the imperial edict, and read aloud, "By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor decrees that the Marquis of Wuwei has conquered Tubo, Huihe, and other states, expanding the territory of the Great Tang. His hard work and contributions are remarkable, and his loyalty to the country is especially granted to him, the title of Prince of Wuwei, and his promotion to Minister of War. This is my decree."

"Your Majesty, your servant Suning thanks you for your grace." However, at this time, Suning accepted the order and expressed his gratitude in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.

At this time, Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji looked at Su Ning with a smile on his face and said, "My dear Su, the rebels in Luoyang have become more and more rampant recently. This time, I plan to let you stay in Chang'an to lead the army and be responsible for suppressing the Luoyang rebels."

"Yes! Your Majesty, I will certainly fight to the bitter end."

"Yeah, very good."

……

(End of this chapter)

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like