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Chapter 1369 Shared hatred and hatred

Chapter 1369 Shared hatred and hatred
Although the defenders in Chang'an City have been hiding, they have become extremely powerful under Suning's training methods.

As for the emperor who disappointed them so much, whether he was dead or alive did not have much impact on them. After all, they had already given their loyalty and faith to Suning.

After a simple pre-war mobilization, Suning led the defenders out of the city to fight a decisive battle with the rebels. He fearlessly killed the rebels and made them cry for their parents.

At this time, Song Jing and Yao Chong in Chang'an City were the first to get the new court report. As the only two elders in the cabinet of Prince Yong's Mansion so far, they indeed enjoyed such superhuman treatment.

Although the administrative organizations of the Tang Dynasty court fled with Li Longji and all died at Mawei Slope west of Chang'an, a large number of officials who were not valued by Li Longji were still left behind. They can now be incorporated into the temporary six ministries of Prince Yong's Mansion. Song Jing and Yao Chong, who were cabinet ministers, also came to Prince Yong's Mansion to work.

"Prince Yao, I never thought the palace bulletin that Prince Yong mentioned would have such a layout, nor did I expect he would print it so beautifully."

"Prince Song, have you forgotten about the bankers under Prince Yong's control? The banknotes issued by these banks are more exquisite, so I guess Prince Yong wants to use these banks across the country to publish his official gazette."

"That's right! It seems that Prince Yong really thinks so. Also, look at the blood edict on the front page headline. It was even printed in the official newspaper with a one-to-one ratio. Add to that the approval of our two prime ministers, and the credibility of the blood edict is immediately maximized."

"Ah! It seems that we have all overlooked this King Yong before. We never imagined that he is the hidden boss."

"..."

Of course, both Song Jing and Yao Chong understood that the one who regretted the most was the deceased Li Longji. After all, Li Longji's disregard and neglect of Suning not only cost him his life, but also his great empire of the Li Dynasty.

Then Song Jing and Yao Chong carefully studied the court report, and then they knew what it meant. Perhaps in the future, the public opinion of the world would no longer be in the hands of literati.

At this time, Song Jing and Yao Chong looked at each other with helpless smiles, and then began to deal with the not-too-many government affairs. The good attitude also helped Suning determine the political structure.

However, now that the Chang'an court was without the emperor and all the nobles, Song Jing and Yao Chong were like the sacred stones that guarded the mountain. Those officials who were like headless flies also got into work mode, and then Chang'an burst out with strength far beyond imagination.

……

In history, Yao Chong and Song Jing were naturally both true king assistants. Li Longji's Kaiyuan Prosperity was inseparable from their contributions. However, now they have both benefited Suning.

There is a saying in the history of the Tang Dynasty that there are "Four Great Sage Prime Ministers", Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui in the past, and Yao Chong and Song Jing in the future.

The former was a meritorious official of the "Zhenguan Era" and the latter was a founding father of the "Kaiyuan Era".

However, compared with the unanimous praise of "Fang Du", "Yao Song" is quite controversial.

Yao Chong was criticized for being cunning and excluding dissidents, while Song Jing was criticized for being tough and seeking fame by selling his honesty.

The establishment of a prosperous dynasty takes at least ten to eight years, and at most one or two generations, but the combined time that Yao Chong and Song Jing served as prime ministers was only seven years (Yao Chong for three years, Song Jing for four years).

In such a short period of time, they were able to be on par with Fang Xuanling, who "spun silk for twenty years" and Du Ruhui, who "worked until his death". Yao Chong and Song Jing were truly the best in Asia.

Under normal circumstances, when encountering such a talented person, the emperor would definitely "squeeze the marrow out of their bones" and use them until death, just like "Fang Du".

However, both of them were dismissed from their positions as prime ministers during their lifetime. After retirement, Yao Chong lived for another five years, and Song Jing lived even longer, for seventeen years.

Could it be that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, really failed to recognize the greatness of Mount Tai? Of course not.

In the history of the Yuan Dynasty, in order to invite Song Jing and Yao Chong to come out of retirement, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was as low-key as a young man proposing marriage. He accepted all the conditions offered by the other party and gritted his teeth to drive almost all of his trusted ministers from the old residence out of the capital.

Suning even once suspected that he was being put on the back burner by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, because this was a condition proposed by Song Jing and Yao Chong. After all, Suning's rocket-like promotion speed frightened them.

There was a reason why a "happy marriage" did not end in a "perfect marriage". Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, did not actually like them, and it was only a matter of time before they broke up. Of course, it was also inseparable from the fact that the prime minister at that time had centralized power and could not serve for long.

In history, Yao Chong excluded dissidents and was criticized for being "deceitful". Before being appointed as prime minister by Emperor Xuan of Tang, Li Longji, he had been appointed prime minister twice and dismissed twice.

He was first appointed as prime minister during the reign of Wu Zetian. Later, he was slandered for opposing Zhang Yizhi's private construction of a temple and was demoted to the commander-in-chief of Lingzhou Road.

The second time he was appointed as prime minister was during the reign of Emperor Ruizong of Tang, Li Dan. Because he suggested that Princess Taiping be demoted to the eastern capital Luoyang, he was retaliated against by Princess Taiping Li Lingyue and was then demoted to the governor of Shenzhou.

These two experiences clearly show the tough image of a "fighter".

But Yao Chong was definitely not the "reckless person" that others thought he was. Before leaving Lingzhou, he secretly made a small move, which allowed us to see Yao Chong's ability to "use softness to overcome hardness."

This was when he strongly recommended Zhang Jianzhi to be the prime minister, and after returning to Beijing the following year, he secretly participated in the "Shenlong Coup" launched by Zhang Jianzhi, directly supporting Tang Ruizong Li Dan to ascend the throne again.

Yao Chong hid very deeply in the "Shenlong Coup". Zhang Jianzhi was busy in the front, while he used his identity as the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Xiang's Palace to act as a go-between in the backstage.

Although this kind of role obscures one's achievements, it actually maximizes self-protection.

It can be seen that Yao Chong was a wise man who combined both strength and flexibility, with both a tough positive side and a cunning negative side.

During the period when he was appointed as prime minister by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, Yao Chong brought his yin and yang sides to the extreme. On the one hand, he took drastic measures to eradicate bad policies, and on the other hand, he used conspiracy to eliminate dissidents. It can be said that he was doing both well.

In history, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang relied on his nine trusted generals from his old residence to successively kill Empress Wei and Princess Taiping Li Lingyue. However, most of these meritorious officials were banished from the capital Chang'an under the suppression of Yao Chong.

For example, Yao Chong believed that Liu Youqiu was not competent for the position, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, under pressure from his original promise to Yao Chong, dismissed Liu Youqiu from his position as prime minister.

Later, Yao Chong demoted Liu Youqiu to the position of governor of Muzhou on the grounds that Liu Youqiu was resentful, and Liu Youqiu died of depression on the way.

Zhong Shaojing, Ma Sizong and Wang Ju were also demoted for the same reason.

Wang Ju was less than 30 years old at the time, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang trusted him extremely and would discuss all major government affairs with him.

If he were not too young, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang would have appointed Wang Ju as prime minister.

However, Yao Chong expelled Wang Ju from the capital on the grounds that he was "cunning and treacherous, and could be used to lead to danger but could not live in peace with."

Poor Wang Ju wandered outside for forty years and was never able to return to the capital until his death.

Yao Chong also had a mortal enemy named Wei Zhigu, who was as old-fashioned as his name suggested.

Wei Zhigu became the prime minister thanks to Yao Chong's promotion, but Wei Zhigu did not like Yao Chong's "flexibility", and the two had many conflicts.

In order to exclude Wei Zhigu, Yao Chong petitioned Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to replace Wei Zhigu as the Minister of Personnel and send him to the eastern capital Luoyang to be responsible for the selection work, kicking him out of the core of power.

Wei Zhigu was furious and was just looking for an opportunity to strike back when Yao Chong's son Yao Yi came to him with a pillow: "Old Wei, my father was kind to you in the past. Can you give me some feedback today and promote your brother?"

Wei Zhigu sneered and turned around to report to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang felt very unhappy: "Yao Chong, you are really playing tricks on Wei Zhigu. On the one hand, you are trying to control him, and on the other hand, you are forcing him to do things for you."

But he couldn't say that out loud, so he asked indirectly: "Old Yao, where is your son working? How is his level?"

Yao Chong was very clever and guessed Tang Xuanzong's intention at once. He rolled his eyes and said, "My two sons are serving in Luoyang. They are not good people. I have done a favor to Wei Zhigu in the past. If things go wrong, these two prodigal sons may ask Wei Zhigu for help."

As soon as these words came out, Tang Xuanzong's attitude immediately changed 180 degrees: "Old Yao is so upright, Wei Zhigu, you are too unkind. People have done you a favor, but you stabbed them in the back. It seems that you have to move out."

Yao Chong pretended to be a good guy: "Your Majesty, this is inappropriate. This is my son's fault, but you punish Wei Zhigu. If this gets out, people will think you are biased towards me."

Emperor Xuanzong was even more moved: "Old Yao, don't worry about it. Pass the order to dismiss Wei Zhigu as the Minister of Personnel..."

Originally, Wei Zhigu was in the right, but Yao Chong took advantage of the situation and made himself unpopular.

If he is not an old hand who has fully understood the weaknesses of human nature, who can have such skills?
But the person who suffered the most from Yao Chong was not Wei Zhigu, but Zhang Shuo. The legendary story of "Yao Chong's death and Zhang Shuo's survival" was left among the people.

Yao Chong and Zhang Shuo were old enemies and had been fighting for decades.

After Yao Chong was appointed prime minister, Zhang Shuo became afraid and turned to his good friend Li Longfan for help. Li Longfan, the Prince of Qi, was the younger brother of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and they had a close relationship.

Zhang Shuo thought that with Prince Qi speaking for him, Yao Chong would not dare to act too presumptuously. However, he did not expect that Yao Chong would kick him out of the capital with just a little trick.

One day after court was dismissed, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang saw Yao Chong lagging behind the troops and walking with a limp: "Old Yao, what's wrong with your foot?"

Yao Chong said meaningfully: "The foot disease is nothing. What I am really worried about is the trouble in my heart."

When Emperor Xuanzong heard this, he said, "Oh, there's something else behind your words. What do you mean? Just say it."

As expected, Yao Chong began to poison him: "Zhang Shuo has been secretly visiting Prince Qi recently. I am really worried that he will harm your beloved brother."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was shocked: "Zhang Shuo, what do you want to do? Get out of the capital!" In this way, Zhang Shuo was also driven out of the core of power.

Things change, and when Yao Chong was about to die of illness, Zhang Shuo's luck turned and he became the prime minister.

In order to prevent the Yao family from being retaliated by Zhang Shuo after his death, Yao Chong used another amazing trick.

He called his sons and said, "After I die, Zhang Shuo will certainly come to pay his respects. When he does, you must display all my treasures and utensils before him. He will love these things the most. If he takes anything, give it to him. If he doesn't take anything, you are doomed. If he does take anything, you must flatter him and ask him to write the inscription for me. Once you have the inscription, have it engraved overnight. If he doesn't go as expected, he will definitely regret it. Then you must tell him that the emperor has already approved the inscription and has already engraved it. That way, he will be powerless to do anything to you."

Everything went just as Yao Chong had expected. Zhang Shuo, who had taken someone else's things, was too timid to pay them back. He praised Yao Chong like a flower in the inscription, but when he calmed down, he regretted it: "Having already positioned him as a loyal minister, how could he take revenge on his son? This was really foolish. I must change."

But it was too late. The emperor's approval was the final word on Yao Chong. Who would dare to bring up the past? Zhang Shuo could only lament, "Dead Yao Chong plotted against living Zhang Shuo. Alas, I am no match for him."

This is the cunning of Yao Chong. He always sets traps for people inadvertently. The annoying thing is that even if you know that you have been tricked by him, you still have to give in.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, was not stupid, and he felt bad about being used by others.

Finally, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang caught Yao Chong sheltering his followers and gave him a severe punishment.

Yao Chong suddenly realized that if he continued to work hard, he would sooner or later anger the emperor! So he cut the Gordian knot and resolutely resigned.

Song Jing was a tough and stubborn person, leaving behind the reputation of "selling his integrity for fame"
Compared with Yao Chong, Song Jing is not so cunning. He has a strong temperament and speaks directly. He does not know how to adapt. He is a bit "straightforward" and will not let go of an idea.

This kind of person is very principled, ruthless, and has poor interpersonal relationships, but he is like a good medicine for correcting bad official habits.

During Song Jing's administration, the bad habits of using backdoors and giving gifts to gain access to positions at court were completely eradicated. However, at the same time, Song Jing also offended many people.

The problem is, you can offend anyone, but it’s difficult to deal with if you offend the emperor.

Song Jing was a stubborn person who only cared about the rules and not the people involved. He even criticized Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, which made Emperor Xuanzong very upset.

Compare this with Yao Chong. Although he was also very principled, that was only directed at his subordinates. When it came to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Yao Chong never confronted him head-on. Instead, he used roundabout ways to trap Emperor Xuanzong, and if that didn't work, he would just try to please him.

Therefore, although Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had some dissatisfaction with Yao Chong, overall the relationship between the two was relatively harmonious.

After Yao Chong resigned voluntarily, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang still missed him.

However, after Song Jing served as prime minister for four years, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang actually commented on him: "He sells his integrity to gain fame."

What this means is that Song Jing appears to be a gentleman, but he is actually pretending. He simply relies on "selling his honesty" to gain a reputation for being upright and incorruptible, and his motives are impure.

You have to know that this was what Emperor Xuanzong of Tang said when he was chatting with people around him after he fled to Shu during the Anshi Rebellion.

At this time, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was in a stage of reflection and self-blame, but he still held such a grudge against Song Jing, which shows how bad his attitude towards Song Jing was at the beginning.

Anyone seeking fame and reputation is bound to be inconsistent in their actions, but Song Jing has been like this his entire life. How can we say he is pretending? If a person can pretend to be upright and incorruptible for a lifetime, then uprightness must be his true nature.

But at that time, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had already hated Song Jing deeply. Taking advantage of the overwhelming opposition, he issued an order to dismiss Song Jing from his position as prime minister.

That year Song Jing was only 57 years old, which was the golden age for a politician.

Later generations said that the Anshi Rebellion was not accidental. His mental journey can be clearly seen from the several prime ministers favored by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang: Yao Chong was both capable and scheming; Song Jing lacked scheming but was upright; Zhang Shuo was both civil and military but greedy; Li Linfu was a clique that attacked dissidents and flattered; and Yang Guozhong was a good-for-nothing minister who was promoted by luck.

So even though Suning had guessed that Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji's rejection of him was inseparable from the presence of the two of them, he was not prepared to retaliate against them in his heart. After all, they were indeed the real talents who could assist the king.

In addition, he had already introduced the cabinet system in advance, which directly castrated the power in their hands. Naturally, it was impossible to mess things up as in history.

……

Although the 200,000 troops outside the city were all noisy, when facing the 100,000 bug troops under Suning, they suddenly became like weak shrimps and were chopped down like melons and vegetables.

Han Xiu could never have dreamed that the Chang'an defenders, who had been hiding in their retreat, would be so brave. As soon as the two armies came into contact, the 200,000-strong army he led collapsed, as if each of the Chang'an defenders was a ferocious beast.

Han Xiu, who led the remaining troops back to Luoyang, immediately noticed the abnormality in Luoyang. Everyone's face was filled with inexplicable complexity, as if they were the walking dead.

"Your Majesty, General Han Xiu deserves death."

"Hmph! Han Xiu, you have an army of 200,000 soldiers, but you were beaten to death by a 100,000-strong weak brigade. You really deserve to die."

"..." Although Han Xiu said he deserved to die, he certainly didn't want to die. "Your Majesty, the defenders of Chang'an City have been hiding their strength. I suspect these 100,000 defenders weren't just temporary recruits. It's very likely that the Anxi mercenaries have already returned to Chang'an to provide support."

"Enough! Han Xiu, you disappoint me so much. I didn't expect you to be so useless."

"His Majesty……"

"Come here! Drag this defeated general away and chop him off."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

"Ah? Your Majesty... spare my life!"

In fact, Empress Kaiyuan Li Lingyue also knew that Han Xiu's death was a bit unjust, but Li Longji's blood edict had been distributed throughout the country in the form of official reports. Now all the people in the world began to despise her as the empress, so the furious Empress Kaiyuan Li Lingyue used the unfortunate Han Xiu as a sacrifice.

"My dear ministers, do you have any suggestions?"

"..."

"What? You all don't want to talk?" Looking at the aristocratic officials in front of her who were as silent as a mouse, the Kaiyuan Empress Li Lingyue couldn't help but sneer and said, "Don't forget that the false emperor's blood edict has been announced to the world. You aristocratic families are also targets for elimination by Chang'an."

"Your Majesty, the Qinghe Cui clan is willing to provide 10,000 young men and the necessary military equipment and supplies."

"Well, the Qinghe Cui family is indeed my support."

"Your Majesty, the Cui clan of Boling is also willing to provide 5,000 young men and the necessary military equipment and supplies."

"Well, what about your other aristocratic families?"

"Your Majesty, our Taiyuan Wang clan will offer 10,000 young and strong men."

"Your Majesty, I, the Fanyang Lu clan, am also willing to contribute 10,000 young and strong men."

……

……

(End of this chapter)

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