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

"Prince Qi has made great contributions by presenting treasures, but a chair alone is not enough to reward him." He paused for a moment and said loudly, "Now the court is in need of people, so let Prince Qi serve as the Minister of the Central Secretariat to help me relieve my worries!"

Today, the system of the three provinces and six ministries in the early Tang Dynasty has changed beyond all recognition. Among the three provinces, the Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel are in charge of military and national affairs. The Secretariat is responsible for issuing orders and making decisions, while the Ministry of Personnel is responsible for reviewing and rejecting. All important military and national affairs are decided in advance by the Secretariat, and drafted into imperial edicts, which are then submitted to the Ministry of Personnel for review and report, and then sent to the Ministry of State Affairs for promulgation and execution.

If the Menxia Province had any objection to the imperial edict drafted by the Zhongshu Province, it could seal it and return it for redrafting.

As the world changes, the three-province system exists in name only. If Su Ming had not brought together the team of the Secretariat, the three provinces might not even have a framework now. The Secretariat has disappeared, and the Ministry of Palace Affairs has been replaced by Su Ming, the emperor.

The Secretariat shared Su Ming's work to a certain extent, which was equivalent to the Cabinet of the Ming Dynasty. In fact, he had been consciously developing the Secretariat in the direction of the Cabinet.

After all, this is almost a brand new department, and Li Siyuan cannot fully control it for the time being, unlike the Six Ministries which have been infiltrated like a sieve.

Chapter 87 It hurts so much!

There is a reason why it is not the Secretariat or the Ministry of Personnel.

Do you know who was the last Shangshu Ling in the Tang Dynasty?

The answer is: Li Shimin.

That's right, Li Shimin had served as the Minister of the Chancellery when he was still the King of Qin. Since then, the position of Minister of the Chancellery has been vacant, and the actual officials in charge are the left and right Pushe, who are not even prime ministers.

This position is not worthy of King Qi at all. If King Qi is placed in this position, it will not be a reward but a humiliation.

The same was true for the Menxia Province, whose powers were too small and which did not hold an important position in the imperial court, making it insufficient to compete with the Three Departments.

All along, Su Ming's idea was to use the Secretariat to counter the Three Departments, curb Li Siyuan's financial power, hold his purse, and prevent him from controlling the financial power, so as to limit his military power.

Without money, you cannot recruit soldiers, train soldiers, recruit troops, or bribe officials and generals.

This move is like cutting off the source of the fire, which is better than a huge army.

With the Secretariat balancing the three ministries, Ren Huan could no longer treat the national treasury as Li Siyuan's ATM and take whatever he wanted. Even if Su Ming checked the national treasury and investigated afterwards, the three ministries would surely be unable to resist the investigation, and the soldiers would then have another bargaining chip and handle.

Upon hearing that the emperor was going to make Prince Qi the Minister of the Central Secretariat and put him in charge of the Secretariat, all the officials in the court were horrified. Fear flashed in their eyes, as if they had already seen the bloody storm in the court in the future.

There is already a King of Jin in Luoyang. If a King of Qi were to enter the city and they started fighting, the situation would be extremely tragic.

Thinking of this, all the officials shuddered with fear.

On the other hand, Li Siyuan felt terrified and even scared.

Yesterday, he and his trusted subordinates discussed for a long time in the mansion and deduced many situations. He guessed that the emperor wanted to target him, Ren Huan, An Zhonghui, Li Congke and others, and he was even prepared for counterattack.

But he didn't expect that the emperor's first move was not against them, but to promote King Qi and attack him.

That's right, after hearing Su Ming's words, Li Siyuan understood why King Qi wanted to offer the Longquan treasure box and why he wanted to question his ministers. These were all paving the way for this step. Promoting King Qi to the court and restricting the emperor's own rights were the real purpose of the emperor.

In an instant, he raised his head and looked at Su Ming on the Danbi, and a deep chill surged in his heart.

All along, the emperor has been constantly refreshing his understanding of him, and he has never underestimated the emperor, but he has not had many means to target him. Now that he finally finds an opportunity, he is hit hard.

This blow woke him up completely.

From now on, his opponent will not be the emperor, but the King of Qi standing in front of him.

Just now, he acknowledged the authenticity of the Longquan Treasure Box, and the officials did not object or question it. Therefore, King Qi's offering of the Longquan Treasure Box was a great merit, and any reward would not be excessive. It was also reasonable to promote King Qi from Fengxiang to serve in the court.

They didn't question it just now, so they can't object now.

Merits must be rewarded and mistakes must be punished. This is the rule of the court. Even if this rule is often violated, it is still a rule and the ministers are not allowed to interfere.

Previously, the emperor had given a light punishment to the officials of the Ministry of Rites and did not investigate their crimes in depth, and the court officials were happy with this. Besides, a light punishment is still a punishment, and everything is just a formality. It all depends on the emperor's intention and the wishes of the officials.

Now that King Qi has made great contributions, it is only natural that the emperor will reward him.

If a court cannot even distinguish clearly between rewards and punishments, in the long run, the country will lose its order, civil officials will be greedy for money, military officials will be afraid of their lives, no one will be loyal, and the country will no longer exist.

Now, in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, the emperor rewarded King Qi. The ministers could not object, especially Li Siyuan.

Because, if he wanted to oppose, first of all, he would not be able to stand on his own feet, because he was also a prince and a governor, and he could serve in the court, so why couldn't the King of Qi?

If he could become the general by virtue of his merit in following the emperor, why couldn't the King of Qi become the minister of the central secretariat by virtue of his merit in offering treasures?

There are some things that can be done but cannot be said, especially in public, he cannot express his opinions.

At this moment, Li Siyuan felt a burning pain on his face, as if he had been slapped hard in the face.

It hurts so much!

The emperor's methods were as sharp, fast, ruthless and accurate as ever, hitting him right in the heart, making it impossible for him to object or refuse. He was completely standing on the greater good and doing things according to the court rules without any loopholes.

At this moment, he actually felt a sense of frustration in his heart. Facing such an enemy, could he really win?

Li Siyuan couldn't help but look up at Su Ming on the dragon throne, and at this moment, Su Ming lowered his head and his eyes met his.

Su Ming did not show the arrogance of a winner, but nodded slightly and smiled. Now it was just the beginning and the real battle was still to come.

Seeing the emperor's indifferent expression, Li Siyuan felt a lump in his heart, as if he had been holding back energy and had no place to use it.

After Su Ming finished speaking, the ministers were speechless and could only look at Li Siyuan, but Li Siyuan stood there without saying a word.

King Qi and Su Ming exchanged a glance, and the former immediately understood and quickly prostrated himself on the ground, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."

At this point, the final word was put to rest, and Prince Qi officially became the Minister of the Central Secretariat of the Tang Dynasty, a second-rank official, the same rank as Li Siyuan's honorary title of general.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Su Ming secretly exhaled a breath, and the hands clenched in his sleeves also relaxed. A deep joy surged in his heart. He had finally taken this step.

After a few moments of silence in the court, Du Ziming, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Rites, spoke first, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to submit."

Su Ming glanced at him and said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty's ascension to the throne is a blessing for our Tang Dynasty. Now the government is in good order and the people are in harmony. However, Your Majesty shoulders the heavy responsibility of the country and the people's hearts. For the sake of the country and the Tang Dynasty, I implore Your Majesty to select a concubine, marry a queen, expand the harem, and continue the bloodline of the Li Tang Dynasty."

His few words were so sincere and powerful that people who didn't know him would think he was a loyal minister of the emperor.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Su Ming was stunned. Oh my god, here comes another one who wants him to have a harem.

At this time, except for some ministers who knew about this in advance, everyone else was also extremely surprised. Why did the situation in the court suddenly change?

Wasn't it the Jiedushi's report today? How did it become advising the emperor to take a concubine and continue the Tang Dynasty's bloodline?

Hearing Du Ziming's words, Li Siyuan was so angry that he was shaking all over. Why didn't this guy consider the situation and just spoke without thinking? Is now the time to talk about this?

What a stupid teammate!

Man proposes, God disposes. If Su Ming had not let Prince Qi serve as the Minister of the Central Secretariat, Li Siyuan's move was based on justice, and Su Ming would have nothing to say. But now, he already has a spokesperson in the court, and a very important spokesperson.

If he said this again, the effect would be different.

Chapter 88 An unexpected start but a tail end

This moment, that moment.

If Prince Qi did not serve in the court, Li Siyuan could use his power and influence in the court to take control of the matter into his own hands. He would be able to control who the emperor married and who could enter the harem.

In this way, he could cut off the emperor's support for marriage.

But now, Prince Qi is serving as the Minister of the Secretariat and is qualified to inquire about this matter, because the Secretariat has the power to review the list of concubines selected by the Ministry of Rites, and it also has to pass the approval of the Emperor.

If there was no King Qi, the emperor would be alone in the court. He could oppose once, twice, three or four times, but it would fail. This matter concerns the inheritance of the country and the emperor cannot do whatever he wants.

Unfortunately, although their idea was good and had a great chance of success, Su Ming's method was more clever than theirs. He directly cut off the source of the problem and supported King Qi and King Jin to confront each other in the court.

From now on, the court will no longer be dominated by the Prince of Jin alone. The era of two kings competing for supremacy is about to come, and party struggles will become more and more intense, and there will no longer be the smooth transition as before.

After Du Ziming made his remonstrance, Li Siyuan remained silent with a cold face. In his heart, he had already sentenced him to death. The best opportunity had been lost. Talking about this matter now would undoubtedly expose his cards and would be of no avail.

This is completely a case of "good intentions" leading to bad results. Since they cannot control the emperor on this matter, the emperor will take advantage of this matter and go with the flow, marrying into aristocratic families to get more help.

As expected, Li Siyuan did not speak, and neither did the officials and military governors who had conspired with him before.

They were all people who were good at observing the situation and they knew that now was not the time to talk about this. Their top priority now was not to tamper with the matter of the emperor's marriage, but to discuss how to deal with King Qi and limit his power.

However, they backed off, and it was Prince Qi who stood up from his chair and made a memorial, "Your Majesty, what the officials of the Ministry of Rites said is absolutely right. Today, the bloodline of the Heavenly Family is weak. For the sake of the country and the Tang Dynasty, Your Majesty should marry a queen as soon as possible, expand the harem, and expand the Li Tang Dynasty."

An Zhonghui and Ren Yuan looked at each other, knowing that they could not retreat at this time, otherwise they would be handing over the initiative of the matter. They had already lost a round before, and they could not lose again now, otherwise, the situation in the court would deteriorate drastically and would be irreversible.

Afterwards, the Three-Ministry Envoy Ren Yuan followed closely behind, "Your Majesty, I think the matter of the crown prince is of great importance. The court needs to prepare early and make plans in advance. The Three-Ministry will definitely support this matter with all its strength."

An Zhonghui also bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites has made a proposal, and the Privy Council also supports it. Maintaining the bloodline of the Tang Dynasty is the most important thing at the moment. I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully."

The leading civil servants spoke out one after another, and the other officials no longer had to worry about whether to support King Qi or remain silent. They all made a petition, "I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."

Su Ming almost laughed out loud when he saw Li Siyuan's gloomy face. This was the first time he saw Li Siyuan lose his composure like this. He tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice. Some things are clear when they are laid on the table.

Li Siyuan's methods were as sharp as ever, but unfortunately Su Ming got the upper hand and won the battle first.

However, this matter will become the next focus of the court in the future.

Both the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Jin will try their best to influence the selection of the Queen.

Who to marry, who is willing to marry, and who is qualified to marry are all things that require careful consideration and screening.

The forces in various parts of the Central Plains were intertwined, with powerful families falling and aristocratic families everywhere. Many of these aristocratic families cooperated with Li Siyuan and even supported him behind the scenes, but the aristocratic families never put all their eggs in one basket.

They can support Li Siyuan and also support the emperor. In fact, the emperor of the time seems to be more valuable than Li Siyuan and is a very good partner.

However, marrying the emperor means making a heavy bet. At the very least, one cannot be indecisive and play both sides. If successful, one can make a fortune, but if unsuccessful, one will be implicated by Li Siyuan.

The higher the return, the higher the risk, and the gains and losses all depend on your consideration.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Su Ming's mind. "I understand the intentions of all of you, my dear ministers. Continuing the bloodline of Li Tang is indeed important, but marrying a queen is not a matter for me alone, nor is it a matter of the moment. I need to think about it in the long run."

"Today is the day when the military governor returns to the court to report on his duties. Military and national affairs are of great importance. We will discuss this matter another day. What do you think?"

Seeing this, Du Ziming wanted to step forward to persuade him again, but was stopped by his colleague next to him.

Indeed, if King Qi had not emerged today, this matter would have been settled naturally. But with King Qi around, this matter can only be opened at best, and it is impossible to set the rules.

Yan Suchen, the Minister of Rites, stepped out tremblingly and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is right. I think this matter needs to be carefully prepared. Your Majesty has just ascended the throne and is not stable yet. It would be more appropriate to prepare for this matter after the beginning of next year."

The boss had already spoken, and even if Du Ziming wanted to say something, it was too late. He broke away from his colleague, glared at him unhappily, and returned to his seat unwillingly.

The colleague who had just pulled him back saw Du Ziming's expression and curled his lips. He was just saving him, but this guy didn't know what was good for him!

The Minister of Rites and the Emperor had both spoken, so the court officials could not say anything at this time. After all, the Emperor had not refused. They could only suppress their thoughts and not continue to submit memorials.

Everything seems to be anticlimactic and confusing, but it makes sense.

Afterwards, King Qi began to report on his duties, talking about the political and military affairs in Fengxiang. The other military governors followed closely behind. Although they were talking about some unimportant matters, Su Ming still listened with great interest and gained a general understanding of each place.

For many things, one cannot draw conclusions and understand them just by relying on books. Especially since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, various places have fallen into chaos. With just the collection of books in the Jixian Hall, he has no control over the situation of the military governors in various places.

How many households do they rule, how many troops do they control, how much money and grain do they have? Whether they have enemies or not, all of these require detailed investigation to draw conclusions. Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win every battle.

In the future, the imperial court is destined to confront these military governors.

They hold too much power in their hands, and they control both military and political affairs. The supervision of the court is almost just on paper and is completely useless. They are like small hilltop tyrants.