Song Xiu

Chapter 124 Initial Discussion on the Attack on Wuyue Province
Late October of the first year of the Jianlong era of the Song Dynasty.

Under the protection of the Tang army, Li Congjia set foot on the land of Nanchang Prefecture.

Upon setting foot on the territory of Nanchang Prefecture, Li Congjia was greeted by Han Xizai and his entourage, who had been waiting for him.

Since leaving Nanjing in early September, Li Congjia has been away from the country for nearly two months.

Two months may not seem like a long time, but Li Congjia experienced quite a lot during those two months.

Upon seeing Li Congjia return safely, Han Xizai and other ministers were overjoyed.

Han Xizai hurriedly led his ministers forward to pay their respects:

"I will pay my respects to Your Highness."

In response to the officials' bows, Li Congjia nodded slightly.

"What about Your Majesty?"

Upon hearing Li Congjia's question, Han Xizai smiled and said:
"His Majesty is waiting for Your Highness in the Changchun Hall of the palace."

Since he had the intention of moving the capital, Li Jing began a large-scale construction project in Nanchang Prefecture, building palaces.

Changchun Palace was Li Jing's sleeping quarters.

Realizing that Li Jing was waiting for him, Li Congjia boarded the carriage bound for the palace, surrounded by eunuchs.

Inside the carriage, Li Congjia's expression was not good.

After returning to the territory of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Li Congjia observed many unusual things.

Along the river, the Tang army erected many beacon towers.

In addition, after entering the territory of Nanchang Prefecture, Li Congjia saw many instances of troop and supply mobilization.

All of the above reveal the Tang army's war preparations.

Thinking back to what Zhao Dexiu had told him before he returned to China, Li Congjia was filled with worry.

The emperor, having been misled by someone, actually decided to go to war with the Song army.

Lost in worry, Li Congjia's carriage entered the palace gates and headed towards Changchun Palace.

Not long after, Li Congjia arrived outside Changchun Palace.

As Li Congjia stepped down from his carriage and was about to enter the Changchun Palace, Han Xizai, who had been accompanying him, stepped forward and stopped him, saying:

"Recently, His Majesty has been ill for a long time without recovery."

Han Xizai spoke very softly, assuring that only Li Congjia could hear him.

Han Xizai's words made Li Congjia's expression even more solemn.

Li Congjia knew that Li Jing's health had been poor ever since the Battle of Huainan.

This is why Li Jing was so eager to clear obstacles for him back then.

After passing Han Xizai, Li Congjia entered Changchun Palace. As soon as he entered, he smelled a faint medicinal scent.

Knowing that Li Congjia was about to arrive, Li Jing had already dismissed all irrelevant people in the hall.

Li Congjia continued forward and soon arrived at the gate of the inner palace.

"Father, I have returned!"

Li Congjia choked up a little when he said this.

No matter how much joy one finds in Tang Dynasty China, one will always miss their hometown and loved ones.

As soon as Li Congjia finished speaking, a joyful sound came from the inner hall:

"Get inside quickly!"

Li Jing's voice carried a sense of vicissitude.

After receiving Li Jing's permission, Li Congjia pushed open the door and entered, proceeding directly to Li Jing's bedside.

Upon arriving at the bedside, Li Congjia noticed that Li Jing's face was pale, indicating that he had been bedridden for a long time.

Seeing the worry on Li Congjia's face, Li Jing comforted him:

"There is no need to worry about some old health problems."

After saying this, Li Jing carefully examined Li Congjia.

Seeing that Li Congjia had not lost weight, he spoke in a relaxed tone:
"It seems that Zhao Dexiu did not make things difficult for you."

Upon hearing Li Jing mention Zhao Dexiu, Li Congjia recounted in detail some of the things he had done while working for Zhao Dexiu.

After listening to Li Congjia's account, Li Jing's expression changed.

strangeness.
Li Jing felt that some of the things Zhao Dexiu said to Li Congjia were quite similar to what Emperor Shizong of Zhou had said to him back then.

However, a thousand words are not as good as one deed, and Li Jing was very grateful that Zhao Dexiu kept his promise.

"I am relieved to see that you are alright."

You must be tired from your journey; you should retire and rest early.

Li Jing's words already carried a hint of weariness.

Li Jing's words did not elicit any action from Li Congjia. Li Congjia bowed deeply to the person beneath the couch and said:
"Your subject believes that our country should focus on recuperation and development at present, and should not lightly start a war."

Li Congjia's suggestion did not immediately receive a response from Li Jing.

After a moment of silence, Li Jing spoke:
"Wuping is prosperous and fertile; annexing it would be beneficial to strengthening our country."

Li Jing revealed his true purpose.

Li Congjia's deduction was correct; Zhou Xingfeng's messenger arrived in Nanchang Prefecture before him and sought help from Li Jing.

After receiving a plea for help from Wuping Kingdom, Li Jing, who had long coveted the Hunan region, began to waver in his stance.

While Li Jing was indeed wary of the Song army's strength, Wuping was not Huainan. Wuping had numerous waterways, which were advantageous for the Southern Tang navy.

Furthermore, Lin Renzhao's explanation of the advantages and disadvantages made Li Jing, who was wavering in his attitude, consider sending troops.

First, help Zhou Xingfeng defeat the Song army, then take the opportunity to annex Wuping Kingdom.

However, Li Congjia had not yet returned to the country, and Li Jing's fear of the Song army had not yet subsided, which is why the Tang army had not yet officially set out.

Normally, once Li Jing has a preference, Li Congjia rarely has any other opinions.

But this time it's different.

The "Northern Hunt" trip helped Li Congjia grow in some ways.

Li Congjia bowed again and said:

"Before I returned to my country, Tai Zhao Dexiu had already taken precautions against our army."

Our troops' entry into Wuping is unlikely to achieve a surprise effect.

Our country shares a large border with the Song Dynasty. If Zhao Dexiu, angered by our betrayal, were to lead his army to attack us, how should we respond?

Li Congjia expressed his biggest concern.

Li Jing lacked foresight and was indecisive; otherwise, the Southern Tang's national strength would not have declined during his reign.

Li Congjia's concerns caused Li Jing's attitude to waver once again.

Seeing that he was somewhat persuaded, Li Congjia continued:

"If our country truly wants to strengthen its power, there is a way to achieve the best of both worlds."

The Wu and Yue states were located in the heart of my country and frequently raided our country.

At the beginning of this year, the Song emperor appointed Qian Chu as the Grand Marshal of the Army, but Qian Chu has not yet sent any envoys to pay tribute.

Our country should use this as a pretext to attack Wu and Yue.

The Wu and Yue regions are wealthy, no less so than Wuping. Conquering Wu and Yue would both strengthen our nation and maintain relations with the Song Dynasty; it would be the best course of action.

In his position, he will do his job.

Perhaps becoming the crown prince of the Southern Tang Dynasty was not what Li Congjia sought, but as the crown prince, he should consider the country's interests.

Under Zhao Dexiu's influence, Li Congjia gradually formed his own political strategy:

"Attack the weak when the situation is big!"

Li Congjia's words surprised Li Jing.

Meanwhile, under Li Congjia's persuasion, Li Jing's attitude has changed.

"You are the Crown Prince Regent; if you have a decision, then do it."

Thinking of his increasingly frail health, Li Jing realized it was time to give Li Congjia more power.

Li Congjia was overjoyed to see that Li Jing agreed with his plan.

Let him save the fate of the Southern Tang Dynasty!

Li Congjia, who harbored ambitions for advancement, summoned a group of ministers in Hanyuan Hall after leaving Changchun Hall.

Seated beneath the throne, Li Congjia directly announced his decision:
"The western expedition is hereby abandoned, and our main force will turn to the eastern border."

As soon as Li Congjia finished speaking, Lin Renzhao, one of the officials, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed:

"Absolutely not!"

After receiving Lin Renzhao's letter, Li Jing was moved by Lin Renzhao's earnest words and summoned him to Nanchang Prefecture for a face-to-face meeting. In front of Li Jing, Lin Renzhao used a lot of persuasive words to convince Li Jing to agree to send troops.

With the nation's revival in sight, how can we give up halfway?

Lin Renzhao's public opposition immediately darkened Li Congjia's expression.

Li Congjia learned a lot from Zhao Dexiu, one of which was:
Inviolability is not to be trifled with!

In desperation, Lin Renzhao spoke up:

"The Song army has won one victory after another, and they will surely underestimate the enemy. In addition, the soldiers are exhausted from their long journey. This is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of them."

Your Highness, if you give me tens of thousands of soldiers, I will be able to expand the country's territory.

Your Highness may declare to the public that I have rebelled, and if I succeed, Wuping will belong to the state.

"If I am defeated, Your Highness may exterminate my entire family, thus demonstrating that Your Highness was unaware of the situation."

Lin Renzhao's words, spoken with utmost sincerity, unexpectedly angered Li Congjia.

Li Congjia stood up, both surprised and angry, and said:

"Those who speak recklessly will be executed, and the state and its people will be punished!"

After reprimanding him, Li Congjia ordered his guards to drive Lin Renzhao out of the palace.

After being driven out of the hall, Lin Renzhao's eyes were filled with tears:

"If the ancestral temple and its shrine are destroyed, to whom will the blame lie?"

A long, sorrowful sigh echoed outside the palace for a long time.

Kaifeng City, Wansui Hall.

After bestowing titles upon Li Congjia, Liu Wensou returned from Jiangling City.

However, as soon as Liu Wensou returned to Kaifeng, before he could even settle into his official residence, he was summoned to the Wansui Hall by Zhao Kuangyin.

When Liu Wensou arrived, he saw many ministers present.

As soon as Liu Wensou finished his greetings, Zhao Kuangyin put down the memorial in his hand, looked at him, and said:
"How is the matter of bestowing titles upon Li Congjia going?"

When Zhao Kuangyin asked about this, Liu Wensou became curious.

The investiture ceremony was conducted in accordance with established rules; what could possibly go wrong?

However, since the emperor had asked a question, Liu Wensou dared not be negligent:

"all the best."

After saying this, Liu Wensou fell silent.
Liu Wensou's silence left Zhao Kuangyin somewhat helpless.

Although Liu Wensou was well-versed in etiquette, he was sometimes not very quick-witted.

Sensing Zhao Kuangyin's displeasure, Zhao Pu offered a reminder:
Was the Prince of Taiyuan present at the investiture ceremony?

Brother Liu, that's all the advice I can offer.

With Zhao Pu's prompting, Liu Wensou racked his brains and finally figured out Zhao Kuangyin's intention.

On the surface, Zhao Kuangyin was inquiring about the investiture ceremony, but in reality, he wanted to subtly find out about Zhao Dexiu's current situation in Jiangling City.

As for why Zhao Kuangyin didn't write a letter directly to inquire about the matter...

Chinese paternal love has always been profound and subtle.

Similarly, Zhao Dexiu's memorial to Zhao Kuangyin mainly focused on official business.

Having understood Zhao Kuangyin's intention, Liu Wensou spoke up:
"I have met the Prince of Taiyuan a few times, and he has become somewhat thinner."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin's brows furrowed immediately.

Zhao Kuangyin was physically robust, which he considered to be the mark of a healthy physique.

I've heard that there's a lot of miasma in the south. Could it be that Brother Liu is feeling unwell lately?
It's very nourishing.

Having deduced this, Zhao Kuangyin secretly kept it in mind.

To appease Zhao Kuangyin, Liu Wensou recounted every detail of his meeting with Zhao Dexiu.

"The Prince of Taiyuan has repeatedly inquired about the reform of the Council of State and the Privy Council."

In Liu Wensou's view, it was perfectly normal for Zhao Dexiu, who was gradually becoming the crown prince, to be concerned about politics.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin fiddled with his jade axe, seemingly lost in thought.

Soon after, Liu Wensou finished his story.

Satisfied, Zhao Kuangyin brandished his axe and told Liu Wensou to quickly step back.

After Liu Wensou left, Zhao Kuangyin looked at Zhao Pu and other close ministers and said:
"It is truly commendable that the Prince of Taiyuan, despite his busy military campaigns, still managed to remain concerned with political affairs."

It seems that Zhao Kuangyin was simply praising Zhao Dexiu.

However, as close advisors to Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Pu and Shen Yilun were not as slow-witted as Liu Wensou.

If a father believes his child is studious, what should the father do?

Naturally, it is essential to create excellent learning conditions for children.

Having understood Zhao Kuangyin's intention, Shen Yilun bowed and replied:
"I have recently been reading historical records and have discovered that during the Sui and Tang dynasties, many princes served as local governors."

As soon as Shen Yilun finished speaking, Zhao Kuangyin's expression immediately brightened.

What is a Xingtai?

The full name of the Xingtai is Xingshangshutai, which is the predecessor of the Shangshu Province.

As the name suggests, the Xingtai was a government agency representing the central government, established when high-ranking officials or princes of the imperial family went on campaigns and traveled to various places with them.

The officials under the jurisdiction of the Xingtai (administrative region) are no different from those under the central government. If someone is appointed as the chief official of the Xingtai, they can intervene in local government affairs on behalf of the central government.

At the same time, if the central government issues a decree, it usually needs to consult with the executive branch located outside the central government.

Looking back to the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, temporary administrative offices were frequently established, and the chief official was usually a prince.

Among those princes, the most famous was Li Shimin, the Grand Chancellor of the Shaanxi East Circuit.

As soon as Shen Yilun finished speaking, Zhao Pu, not to be outdone, continued:

"The Prince of Taiyuan has two great achievements: suppressing the rebellion in Huainan and conquering Nanping."

He was also quite interested in the new policies. Your Majesty might as well follow the old precedent of the Sui and Tang dynasties and allow the Prince of Taiyuan to establish a provincial advisory office in the local area.

In this way, the Prince of Taiyuan will be able to both fight for the country and study local administration, achieving two goals at once.

Since the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the powers of the Ministry of Personnel have been gradually abolished.

If Zhao Kuangyin had simply followed precedent and allowed Zhao Dexiu to establish a regional headquarters, that would have been counterproductive.

However, using the past to change the present is a basic tactic of mature politicians.

With the implementation of new policies by the current imperial court, the status and power of the Consultative Province are constantly rising.

If a provincial-level administrative office cannot be established, a provincial-level advisory office can be established.

Zhao Dexiu would likely be quite satisfied with this reward.

Zhao Pu's words struck a chord with Zhao Kuangyin.

However, Zhao Kuangyin did not make a decision immediately.

Zhao Kuangyin's bestowal of titles and rewards upon Zhao Dexiu always followed one principle—steady progress.

The foundation of "stability" lies in military achievements.

Zhao Kuangyin looked at Zhao Pu and said:
“What you say makes sense, but the establishment of large provincial governments is a matter of great importance. It is not too late to decide after the Prince of Taiyuan has conquered Wuping.”

A large province?
The other ministers present looked surprised.

In ancient politics, any political term containing the word "great" was considered extraordinary.

For example, Li Shimin's Shaanxi East Circuit Grand Secretariat.

Without the word "great," Li Shimin's control over local government affairs might have been limited to the Shaanxi East Circuit.

With the addition of the character "大" (great), Li Shimin effectively took full control of the military and political affairs in Guandong.

Although the advisory ministry has just been established, its authority is currently limited to matters related to the "new policies".

But what about the future?

While the ministers were shocked, they remembered Zhao Kuangyin's preconditions and no one objected.

If we can successfully conquer Wuping, we may be able to pacify other countries in the future.

With numerous merits in conquering states, Zhao Dexiu was worthy of any reward.

Seeing that none of his ministers had any objections, Zhao Kuangyin smiled.

As Zhao Dexiu became increasingly like the King of Qin, Zhao Kuangyin often read the Book of Tang alone late at night.

He read the Book of Tang to learn how Emperor Gaozu of Tang bestowed titles and rewards.

After reading it several times, Zhao Kuangyin became increasingly delighted.

Li Yuan wasn't as lucky as him; his "Prince of Qin" was the eldest son of the legitimate wife!
(End of this chapter)