The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

Now that they have Li Cunli's list, it will be much easier for the Jinyiwei to target Tongwenguan in the future. Although Li Siyuan cut his losses and transferred him away very early, the Tongwenguan is such a large organization that it is not so easy to change.

What's more, Li Cunli had done so many dirty things for Li Siyuan in the past, so he was very clear about some of the things he had done, which families he had cooperated with and been involved with, and who he had placed in various places. Although he did not know every detail, he still had some rough guesses.

And what the Jinyiwei needs now is such intelligence. Li Siyuan, this old coin, has been hiding under Li Keyong for too long. Even Li Cunxu is afraid of him. It is conceivable that the power of his subordinates should not be underestimated.

As for how many of these people are his people and how many are bad people, that is a matter of opinion.

Su Ming didn't believe that Yuan Tiangang didn't notice Li Siyuan at the beginning and didn't arrange some bad people under him. It was a pity that he couldn't use this force for the time being, otherwise, it would be easy to deal with Li Siyuan.

He put away the list in his hand and left Qianqiu Hall as usual without showing any abnormality.

If the ruler is not discreet, he will lose his subjects; if the subjects are not discreet, they will lose their ruler. In history, there are many fools like Xiang Yu. Cao Wushang must have regretted it. Su Ming is not ready to confront Li Siyuan yet. If Li Siyuan finds out that Li Cunli has betrayed him, Su Ming will not be able to protect him.

Therefore, although Li Cunli showed his sincerity, Su Ming could only do as usual and not let Li Siyuan see any clues. After getting the list, he could let the Jinyiwei prepare in advance, but he could not take action immediately.

Otherwise, as soon as he took action, Li Siyuan would definitely find out that Li Cunli had betrayed him.

This is also the reason why Li Cunli wanted to start a new game after giving up the big dragon on the chessboard. If Su Ming had been impatient today and swallowed the big dragon immediately, the result would not be like this.

Li Cunli might pledge allegiance to him, but he would certainly not give him the list immediately. He always had to consider himself.

As long as he didn't make any mistakes, nothing unexpected would happen to Li Cunli. Everyone in the court and the country knew that Prince Xue Li Cunli often went to the palace to play chess with the emperor, and Li Siyuan also knew about this.

What's more, Li Siyuan has been very busy recently.

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Snowflakes were falling, and dry and cold air was lingering in the city of Luoyang. Pedestrians on the street put on cotton-padded clothes, wishing they could wrap themselves up like cotton balls. This was the first snow since the beginning of winter.

The majestic imperial city was also covered with snow, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the imperial road. The palace maids and guards swept the snow together to clear an aisle, and then laid straw mats to prevent the officials in the court from falling.

The sound of the bronze bell rang, and all officials entered the imperial city from Chengtian Gate and stepped into the Taiji Hall.

On the city wall, Zhang Zifan, wearing armor, yawned, looked at the officials who were gradually going away, and curled his lips. It was really difficult for these people to go to court at the dawn every day. If it was spring, summer or autumn, it would be okay, but in winter it would be fatal.

Fortunately, I did not agree to serve as an official in the court by Brother Li before, otherwise I would be one of them now.

Why would one give up doing leisurely things and work like a slave in the imperial institution? Not only would one lose freedom, but one would also be subject to the supervision of one's superiors. Zhang Zifan could not tolerate such a life.

Tai Chi Hall.

After winter came, Su Ming also changed into a thick robe. Although it was troublesome to put on, it was thicker than the crown robe, and the dark background color made it look more majestic.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

"Be flat."

As the ministers stood up, an official stepped out to make a report: "Your Majesty, since the beginning of winter, there has been no rain in Luoyang. Today's snow is a good omen from heaven for our Tang Dynasty. Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. There is no need to worry about planting next spring."

In an agricultural society, seasons are very important. Seasons are related to farming. If agriculture is unstable, the country will be unstable. People have been looking forward to this snow for a long time. If it doesn't snow again, the land will not be damp and the pests' eggs will not be frozen to death.

As the temperature rises next spring, insect pests will occur, so there is a saying that auspicious snow indicates a good harvest.

Of course, this snow is also a good thing for Su Ming. He has just ascended the throne for less than a year. If there is no snow this winter, it means that he, as the emperor, has lost his virtue and angered the heaven, causing disasters and punishing the people.

Such rumors have been circulating in Luoyang City in recent days. Fortunately, the snow came in time and all the rumors were refuted.

Su Ming's eyes flashed with a strange color. After thinking for a while, he said, "You are right. This snow is indeed a good omen for our Tang Dynasty. Today, all government offices except those on duty will be given half a day off and rewarded with half a month's salary. What do you think, my dear ministers?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers were immediately cheered up. Who wouldn't want a holiday plus a reward of half a month's salary? No one would want to get into trouble at this time.

All of the ministers bowed and shouted in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly relaxed and was filled with a happy atmosphere.

Su Ming smiled lightly, glanced at the ministers, and continued, "Although snow is a good sign, the court officials should also pay attention. If the snow falls for too long, it is very likely to cause a snowstorm, crushing houses and freezing people to death."

"For this matter, the Ministry of Revenue is preparing to come up with a regulation in advance."

This is what should be expected, and the official from the Ministry of Revenue responded, "I understand!"

Su Ming glanced at Li Siyuan and said in a deep voice, "The end of the year is approaching, and the governors of various places have come to Beijing to report on their work. The Ministry of Rites submitted a memorial the day before yesterday to expand the post station and build roads. You should discuss this matter and come up with a plan with the Ministry of Works."

Chapter 79 Long-term planning

The Jiedushi entered Luoyang?

Upon hearing this word, the relaxed atmosphere in the court suddenly dissipated, and many people unconsciously cast their eyes towards Li Siyuan standing in the front. All the court officials present knew how lively the Prince of Jin's Mansion had been in the past two months.

However, although everyone knew the truth, no one dared to say anything.

At the front row of generals, Li Siyuan had his eyelids drooping, looking calm and composed, as if he had not heard Su Ming's words.

After the atmosphere was stiff for a moment, the court officials spoke up one after another to discuss the matter. The post station represented the face of the court, and many of them had been burned down due to wars before. Therefore, they could not accommodate so many people and needed to be rebuilt.

In recent years, wars have been frequent and the official roads built previously have not been maintained for a long time. They are in disrepair and many places are no longer accessible.

Both of these require a huge investment.

A quarter of an hour later, the hall gradually quieted down. The Minister of Rites Yan Suchen spoke first, "Your Majesty, the posthouse in Luoyang has been in disrepair for a long time. It was burned down due to war not long ago and needs to be rebuilt urgently. I think this is the most urgent matter at the moment."

"The court needs to allocate funds as soon as possible, so that officials from all over the country will not have nowhere to live when they come to Beijing, which would be embarrassing for the court. As for the official roads, I think they can be temporarily delayed and there is no need to rush."

Not long ago, Yan Suchen returned from the border. He wanted to ask for his remains to return to his hometown to retire, but three memorials he submitted were rejected by Su Ming. He had no choice but to go to work at the Ministry of Rites honestly.

Moreover, after Kong Xianwen died, he was naturally promoted to the position of Minister of Rites. After all, with his age and qualifications, no one in the court could compare to him. In addition, Kong Xianwen took the blame for the failure of the peace talks, so no one in the court intervened in the matter.

Hearing his suggestion, Su Ming nodded. Yan Suchen's suggestion was pertinent and practical. He also took into account the difficulties of the court and focused on urgent matters first and then slow things down. It could be said to be a mature and prudent suggestion for the country, which was different from his previous advice.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the people from the Ministry of Works refuted him, "Lord Yan, this is wrong. The Ministry of Works may be able to implement the post station, but the amount of work on the official road is too large. It is the severe winter season now, and it is difficult to construct. It is difficult to prepare materials. It is almost the end of the year, and it is even more difficult to allocate labor."

"We can't repair this official road." The person who spoke was a middle-aged man wearing a scarlet official robe. He was Li Mingfeng, a member of the Ministry of Revenue. He had a stern face and looked very serious.

Yan Suchen coughed lightly and said, "Lord Li, I am talking about the official roads outside Luoyang City. You don't need to repair a long distance. Just repair the official roads within a hundred miles that have been in disrepair for a long time. I didn't ask you to repair the official roads in prefectures and counties."

"Could it be that in such a huge city like Luoyang, there is not even someone to repair the official road? Now is the slack season for farming, and the people around here have nothing to do. We can just recruit laborers from nearby areas. It is not a big deal that will cost the people money and time."

Afterwards, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue argued endlessly about this matter, and the court was in chaos. Su Ming did not stop them, but watched the scene with a smile. It was normal to have disputes in the court. This was for public affairs rather than personal grudges, and there was no reason for him to intervene.

A quarter of an hour later, they were probably tired of arguing, and both sides took a step back. The Ministry of Revenue agreed to build a post station and repair the official road, but the difference was that the official road with a radius of 100 miles was changed to a road with a radius of 50 miles.

However, the final decision was not made by them but by the Three Officials. At that time, the Ministry of Revenue did not manage money, and the national treasury was managed by the Three Officials.

Soon, everyone turned their attention to Ren Yuan, the Third Secretary. The labor service was easy to solve, but without money, no matter how careful the consideration was, it would be useless. But unexpectedly, Ren Yuan did not hesitate and agreed directly.

Seeing this scene, Su Ming smiled. It seemed that Li Siyuan was behind today's incident. Although this matter was not big, he had to coordinate with officials from all parties.

After these people entered Luoyang, they had to set up a dock, but there were also many poor people among them. He couldn't just ignore them, but he couldn't ask the Prince of Jin's Mansion to provide them with food, clothing, housing and transportation.

Therefore, it was only natural to let the imperial court step in, and no one could find fault with it.

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Jixian Hall.

Su Ming threw the list to Meng Po and said calmly, "Meng Po, this is the list of people inside the Tongwenguan and Li Siyuan's men hiding in various places. You ask the Jinyiwei to pay more attention to it, but don't alert them."

Although she didn't know where he got the list from, Meng Po didn't ask any more questions and just did as he asked, "I understand."

"By the way, the surveillance at Prince Xue's Mansion can be relaxed a little. It doesn't have to be as strict as before."

"Oh? Why is that?" Meng Po asked doubtfully. In order to place people in Prince Xue's mansion, the Jinyiwei had paid a lot of price. Why are they relaxing surveillance now?

Su Ming explained, "Li Cunli has surrendered to me, and he gave me this list."

Li Cunli took refuge with him?

Meng Po's body trembled, and surprise flashed in her turbid old eyes. She didn't expect that Li Cunli would actually betray Li Siyuan and defect to the emperor. How did he do it?

Su Ming raised a smile and said softly, "Before that, I used an open plot to alienate them. Then, Li Siyuan removed Li Cunli from his position as the leader of the Li Cun Sect and pretended to let him come here as an undercover agent. However, the incident with Kong Xianwen made Li Cunli wary."

"He didn't want to become the second Kong Xianwen, so he surrendered to me. This time, Li Siyuan must have already prepared a candidate to replace the Minister of Rites. If I hadn't pardoned the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Rites would still fall into his hands. Although the Ministry of Rites has not surrendered to me, it is no longer obedient to Li Siyuan. Mengpo, this is good news."

Soon, Meng Po calmed down, "Your Majesty, this is indeed good news."

The Ministry of Rites gradually slipped away from Li Siyuan's control, which meant that a crack had appeared in his power in the court. Slowly, this crack would widen and disintegrate his advantages one by one.

"Where is King Qi?"

"Your Majesty, the King of Qi will be able to arrive in Luoyang in three days and go to court with the governors from various places."

In order not to attract Li Siyuan's attention, the empress deliberately postponed her trip and went to court with the governors from various places to avoid being targeted by him. After all, when Jin and Liang were fighting for hegemony in the Central Plains, the empress had caused a lot of trouble behind his back.

Su Ming nodded. "I will not see her this time when she arrives in Luoyang. We will discuss other matters after the court meeting. Have you arranged for the people she sent over?"

Meng Po said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the soldiers sent by King Qi have been divided into small groups and have all entered Luoyang. As long as Your Majesty is willing, you can mobilize a large army at any time."

Su Ming's eyes flashed with excitement. "No need. They are unarmed now, without armor or weapons. Even if we raise a large army, they have no fighting power. After King Qi stays in the court, I will use these people as the foundation to form a new army."

"By then, with the army in hand, we will be able to break the situation. With the King of Qi joining forces, Li Siyuan will no longer be able to cover the sky with one hand like before."

Su Ming has been planning for this matter all along, and now the truth has finally been revealed.

Chapter 80 King Qi has arrived in Luoyang!

Meng Po was silent for a moment, then replied respectfully, "Your Majesty is thoughtful and far-sighted, and I admire you."

Looking at the world, although Su Ming can choose many allies, the only one he can really cooperate with is the Empress. First, the Empress has maintained Qi for so many years and has given up the idea of ​​competing for world domination. Second, the Empress is interested in Li Xingyun. With this, if he operates properly, he can completely swallow up the troops of Qi.

Now the Tang Dynasty is generally stable without any war. With Li Siyuan intimidating the court, the governors of various vassal states dare not start a war lightly or annex each other, because there is no unrest in the central government. Once they make any move, it will attract the attention of the court.

Li Siyuan would certainly not let go of such a good opportunity for expansion. He only needed to send part of his troops to defeat the Jiedushi who started the war, and then send his confidants to replace him, and he could easily take over the territory.

Li Siyuan dared to do this only because the emperor had no troops. If the emperor had troops, he would naturally focus on guarding against the emperor. The local military governors would be nothing more than a minor problem and not worth worrying about.

Su Ming continued, "Now the military governors from all over the country have gathered in Luoyang. No matter how hard they try to prevent defeat, their control over their subordinates will inevitably loosen. The Jinyiwei should seize the time to infiltrate and rely on intelligence. There is no need to contact their subordinates for the time being. Now is not the time."

"I understand."

The reason why Jinyiwei is developing so rapidly now is not only because of the help of the Bad Guys and Huanyinfang, but also because they are hiding in the dark, not being noticed and not being on guard.

Once an intelligence organization is discovered and on guard, it will not be easy for it to hide.

The Tongwenguan under Li Siyuan's command is fully focused on the Xuanming Sect and the Bad People, and will not be on guard against the Jinyiwei. This is their biggest advantage now.

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"Guangmutian, where are we?"

On the official road, a convoy was moving slowly forward, with luxurious carriages clustered in the middle, and beautiful women looking around on the side. The empress, wearing a royal robe, leaned in the carriage, with a lazy look on her face.

"King Qi, we will be in Luoyang in three days." A pretty woman in a blue skirt replied from the side of the carriage.

"I haven't seen Li Xingyun for so long. I wonder what he's like as an emperor." The empress stroked the white cat and said lazily. The cat nestled in her arms with its chin raised and its eyes squinted, looking very enjoyable.

Guangmutian, carrying his guqin on his back, glanced at the empress through the curtains and said with a smile, "Your Highness, are you still worried about Li Xingyun? He must be very happy in the palace. When he ascended the throne a few months ago, local governors sent him gold, silver, treasures, and beauties. His harem must be almost full."

The empress raised her eyebrows and her voice instantly rose three degrees, "Hmph, he dares, I have asked Miao Chengtian and others to keep an eye on him, what qualifications do those questionable women have to get close to him?"