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

Zhang Zifan didn't care at all and laughed, "Haha, I've been in the military camp for a long time, I'm used to it. To be honest, it's better to stay here than to play tricks with those people in the court."

"In the past, I always dreamed of becoming a general, leading soldiers into battle and making great achievements. Now, there is no hope of charging into battle. The best I can do is to satisfy my desire to be a coach." When he said this, a look of regret appeared on his face.

Which man doesn’t have a dream of achieving great things and fighting on the battlefield?

It’s a pity that most people spend their entire lives struggling for survival, and the so-called dreams are nothing more than a lingering thought after waking up in the middle of the night.

If Zhang Zifan was not the Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, he might have had the opportunity to lead troops on the battlefield. Unfortunately, as the current Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, Su Ming would never let him go to the battlefield no matter what the considerations were.

The Tianshi Mansion is the leader of Taoism in the south, and the Tianshi is a very important figure. In the future, when we go south to conquer, we will have to rely on the help of the Tianshi Mansion. It is impossible for Su Ming to offend them at this time and put Zhang Zifan in danger.

Su Ming did not respond to this question and directly changed the subject, "Brother Zhang, how many people are there in the Imperial Guard now?"

Zhang Zifan glanced at the parade ground and said, "King Qi sent two thousand elite soldiers. We also recruited some when we recruited people before. Now we have three thousand imperial guards and one thousand cavalry."

Three thousand imperial guards?

There are still a few too few people. The Imperial Guards are all infantry. If they want to form combat effectiveness, they need a scale of at least 5,000 people. Among them, archers, shield soldiers, and spearmen must cooperate with each other to be considered qualified infantry.

Currently, the Imperial Guards only have equipment, and it will take a long time of training to be fully formed.

However, Su Ming is not in a hurry now. Developing troops is a matter for the future. What's more, after sorting out the affairs in the court, he wants to climb the technology tree and develop gunpowder.

Not to mention the flintlock rifle, at least various bombs, mines and gunpowder are needed. As for the flintlock rifle, that thing cannot be made in a short time, and you can't expect him to make one by hand.

Now is still the era of cold weapons. There is still a long way to go to develop hot weapons. It would be good if we can develop the flintlock rifle within five years. The current smelting technology is simply insufficient.

Iron and steel smelting requires a large number of manpower and ore, but these conditions are not available. What's more, even if he told the craftsmen the principle, without good quality iron and steel, even if they were made, they would not last long and would explode after a few uses, no better than a fire stick.

Moreover, even if it is produced, it will require a lot of financial support to equip the army on a large scale. If the firearm army is not large-scale, it will have no lethality at all.

Therefore, at this stage, making guns is the least cost-effective. In comparison, researching gunpowder and bombs is easier.

All kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind, and Su Ming patted his shoulder, "Brother Zhang, I'm sorry to bother you for the time being. You lead the Imperial Guards first, and I'll find a suitable person to replace you."

"We are all brothers, it's too formal to say these things." Zhang Zifan didn't care and took him to inspect the imperial guards camp.

The camp here covers a very large area, enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people. It has all kinds of warehouses available, but it lacks enough people.

After inspecting the military camp, Su Ming returned to the imperial city.

Ever since the Empress took up the post of Minister of the Central Secretariat, the number of memorials that Su Ming had to deal with every day was reduced by more than half. To be honest, when it came to handling government affairs, he probably still had to learn from the Empress. After all, she had been the King of Qi for sixteen years, so a half-baked man like him could never compare to her.

Later, in order to save time, Su Ming simply moved the Secretariat to the vicinity of the Qinzheng Hall, and whenever he was unsure about something, he would directly call the empress to discuss it.

By the evening, all the memorials on the imperial desk had been revised.

Su Ming turned around and said to the empress on the side, "Thanks to you, I used to review memorials until the early morning, but now I can finish them before nightfall."

The empress at this time was wearing a scarlet official robe. Although she was not wearing any makeup, she had a pretty face and a heroic spirit, and she had a unique kind of beauty.

Hearing this, the empress smiled, her eyes moving, "If you want to be a good emperor, you still have a lot to learn, but this is not the most important thing. The most important thing for an emperor is to use people. You don't need me to teach you this."

Su Ming stood up and stretched, "That's right, otherwise, I wouldn't have transferred you from Qi to Luoyang."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, "Recently, Li Siyuan has restrained himself a lot."

When Li Siyuan was mentioned, the empress's expression became solemn. "Yes, after the Secretariat came into effect, his control over the six ministries was no longer as strong as before. Many decisions that were favorable to him were rejected. Now, he can no longer control the court like before."

"At this time, he naturally needs to restrain himself and not be caught in a weak spot."

Suddenly, Su Ming showed a playful smile, "I'm afraid Li Siyuan would never have thought that he had so many people in the six ministries and bribed so many officials, but they were not as powerful as the Secretariat."

The three ministries are naturally superior to the six departments. What's more, the current Secretariat is somewhat similar to the Secretariat in the early Ming Dynasty. It has great power. In addition to decision-making, it also has the power of execution. The six departments are greatly restricted.

This is the effect of using a small amount of force to achieve a great result. Su Ming used a small Longquan treasure box to achieve such great results. It has to be said that it was a great trick.

"How is Li Cunli doing recently? I haven't summoned him to the palace for a long time."

The empress smiled softly, "That guy is quite diligent in the Secretariat, and he pretends to be very hardworking."

Knowing that Li Cunli had surrendered to the emperor, the empress did not target him. But who knew what Li Siyuan was thinking? He actually wanted Li Cunli to be an undercover agent in the Secretariat. So in order to make the portrayal more realistic, the empress had to target him in the Secretariat.

Both sides have put in a very hard performance, but as far as we can see now, Li Cunli has probably not been exposed yet.

Chapter 94: Reopening the Imperial Examination

Li Siyuan thought that Li Cunli was an undercover agent for the emperor. In fact, Li Cunli's undercover target was him. In order to make Li Cunli's undercover look more realistic, he deliberately let Li Cunli leak the information of Tongwenguan.

For the sake of the overall situation, Su Ming had to let the empress take the bait with tears in his eyes.

Now the Jinyiwei cannot be exposed, and the power of the Xuanming Sect has dispersed again, the only one that can move is Huanyinfang.

Moreover, in order to fight against Li Siyuan, the empress directly moved the headquarters of Huanyinfang to the Prince Qi's Mansion in Luoyang to avoid suffering losses in intelligence.

In the past few years, several leaders of Tongwenguan have died, and its power is not as great as before. Even if a new leader takes office, he is not as good as the old man who has been in this position for more than ten years.

Therefore, Tongwenguan’s current intelligence capabilities are not as good as before.

Previously, Huanyinfang was confined to the country of Qi, and could barely fight against Xuanming Sect together with Tongwenguan. Now, Xuanming Sect is no longer what it used to be and has joined the emperor's army. Tongwenguan and Huanyinfang have become rivals. How unpredictable things are.

Su Ming was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Are you really planning to give up Qi Country?"

The smile on the empress's face faded, and her brows were filled with calmness. "Qi Kingdom never belonged to me. I was just in charge of it. Unknowingly, sixteen years have passed. I am tired and exhausted."

"Qi is no longer the same country as it was before. The real Li Maozhen probably won't come back." Then, she let out a self-deprecating smile, "Besides, even if he comes back, what can he do?"

"The general trend of the world is so great that no one can go against it. Not me, and not Li Maozhen. From the destruction of Liang to Li Cunxu's enthronement, the world has changed dramatically. It is no longer the era of separatist regimes."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Su Ming. "Although Li Cunxu usurped the throne, he gave people hope and aspirations for a unified world. You are the person most likely to reach this point. I hope that person is you, not Li Siyuan."

At this moment, Su Ming realized the expectations he carried. The emperor was not just a throne and a title, but also a heavy responsibility.

Su Ming looked at the empress and saw the hope and light in her eyes, as well as his own reflection. His expression suddenly became solemn and he nodded slowly, "Don't worry, I will definitely make it to the end."

The empress smiled gently, her face as pretty as a flower, and she was charming and lovely, "I believe you."

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The court was as calm as usual. After Prince Qi took office as the Minister of the Secretariat, he focused his attention on the Secretariat, striving to make the Secretariat function as quickly as possible, and did not deal with Li Siyuan.

Although this was the case on the surface, secretly, after the Secretariat resumed its functions, it began to encroach on the rights of the six ministries and suppress the decisions of the six ministries. Many unqualified and illegal decrees were rejected.

In the underworld, Huanyinfang and Tongwenguan were fighting each other secretly. With Li Cunli as an undercover agent, Tongwenguan suffered heavy losses. Of course, all this was within Li Siyuan's "expectations". For the sake of the undercover, the loss of some manpower was nothing.

There are plenty of people in this world. When one group dies, another group will be found. The thing that the world lacks the least is desperate criminals.

However, no matter how peaceful the court is, it will eventually be broken.

After Prince Qi integrated the Secretariat and gathered a group of capable people under his command, Su Ming began his actions.

His first step was to reopen the imperial examination system.

In fact, the imperial examinations in the Sui and Tang dynasties were mostly the preserve of aristocratic families. Their reputation and family background enabled the children of aristocratic families to make rapid progress in the imperial examinations. Of course, there were also some hidden gems discovered among the children of poor families, but they were not as good as the children of aristocratic families who made continuous progress.

The purpose of reopening the imperial examination was to select officials and to prepare for the subsequent cleansing of bureaucracy. After all, if an official was removed, there had to be replacements to take his place. Without someone, wouldn't the court have to shut down?

Tai Chi Hall.

After Su Ming announced the news in front of all the officials, they whispered to each other and talked about it. Over the years, the imperial examination system had been stopped and most officials were appointed by the court through recruitment and recommendation.

However, the imperial court had too many government offices. Although it nominally governed the entire Central Plains, many of them were understaffed and vacant. Even the Imperial Censorate and the Nine Temples and Five Institutions were not fully staffed, and could only barely maintain the operation of government affairs. The system could not be considered sound.

After some hesitation, an official stepped out and asked, "Your Majesty, it is almost the end of the year. Isn't it a bit too hasty to hold the special examination?"

"I only said that I would reopen the imperial examinations, but I didn't say that it would be held immediately. Now let's set a rule. Next year's imperial examinations will be held to select talents for the court. Currently, the officials in the Censorate are not enough, and the Imperial College and other government offices are even more vacant."

"You guys, don't you have anything to say?" Su Ming glanced at everyone coldly.

The imperial examination not only gathered scholars from all over the country, but also won over the aristocratic families. The emperor's move really hit the weak spot.

In the hall, when Li Siyuan heard that the emperor was going to reopen the imperial examination, he instantly understood his thoughts.

Du Ziming, the official from the Ministry of Rites, held the tablet in his hand and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the court will be selecting concubines next year to fill the harem. If we want to hold an imperial examination, the officials from various ministries may not be able to handle it in such a hurry. I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully."

At the same time, Chen Yuan, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, also reported, "Your Majesty, the continuation of the royal family's heirs is the most important thing in the world. There is no rush to select talents through the imperial examination. I think that the imperial examination should be held after the selection is completed, so that the two events can be staggered to avoid mistakes."

Subsequently, many ministers seconded the motion.

But none of the really influential bigwigs in the court said anything. The King of Qi, the King of Jin, the Three Envoys, and the Privy Envoy all remained silent.

The reaction of the court officials was within Su Ming's expectations. If the government offices in the imperial court were filled up, the interests of these people would inevitably be damaged. For example, the Dali Temple and the Censorate, once the supervisory departments were established, the court officials would be restricted.

No one wants someone to be watching them in the court all the time. What's more, the government offices like the Nine Temples are full of money. With formal officials, they will not be able to make huge profits from them.

Facing the ministers' questions, Su Ming said calmly, "When did I ever say that I would delay the selection of candidates for this matter? The selection of candidates is the business of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites, and the imperial examination is the business of the Ministry of Personnel. Is there a conflict between them? Could it be that, for the sake of the selection of candidates, you will not do anything next year?"

"Everything is established if it is prepared, and it will be abolished if it is not prepared. As a minister, if you can't share my worries, then what use do I have for you? The Tang Dynasty has finally recovered, and we are just selecting talents to supplement officials and improve the court system. It has not been implemented yet, but you are making excuses. What is your intention?"

The low voice echoed in the hall, but no one dared to respond.

Chapter 95: Tactics outside the court

Finally, Li Siyuan stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I think the imperial examination is not urgent. The end of the year is approaching and the government is getting busier and busier. I can't be distracted. I hope Your Majesty will think twice."

It was a custom for the imperial court to hold imperial examinations, and selecting talents was a normal move. It was within the rules and could not be stopped.

Since we can't stop it, we'll just have to delay it. The draft will be held next year, and if a war or accident happens after the draft, the imperial examination may not count.

As soon as he moved, King Qi spoke.

Prince Qi sneered and retorted, "Didn't Prince Jin hear what Your Majesty just said? The selection of concubines is the business of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites, and the imperial examination is the business of the Ministry of Personnel. These matters are not in the same government office, so why can't you split your attention to other matters?"

"The court already has insufficient officials. If we don't select officials now, when will we select them?"

When Li Siyuan heard Prince Qi's words, he narrowed his eyes and said indifferently, "This year, the court first prepared for the coronation ceremony, and then negotiated with the Khitan. At the end of the year, the governors and officials from all over the country returned to the capital to report on their work and hand over documents."

"After so many things, all the officials are exhausted. There will be a talent show next year, which can be said to be no rest at all. Isn't what King Qi said unfair?"

King Qi glanced at him and asked, "Why? Do you think there is something wrong with what His Majesty said?"

Li Siyuan raised his eyelids and said indifferently, "I dare not, but all the officials are exhausted. If something goes wrong due to fatigue and complexity, it would be a betrayal of the emperor and a loss of face for the court."

Seeing them arguing endlessly, Su Ming tried to smooth things over. "King Qi is right, and King Jin also has a point. It's just that there are vacancies in the court, and the matter of selecting talents is imminent. We can't delay any longer."

"Let's put this matter aside until March of next year. The Ministry of Personnel will make preparations first, and the various departments of the court will prepare for the selection of candidates. The imperial examination will be officially organized in March of next year. What do you think?"

Previously, King Qi and King Jin were arguing and the officials could not get a word in. Now Su Ming tried to smooth things over and gave them a way out. King Qi immediately agreed and took the initiative to back off. Li Siyuan did not want to dwell on the matter any further and could only agree with a cold face.

The emperor was taking sides, and it was too obvious that these two were playing a double game. They simply didn't take him seriously.

Finally, the emperor made the final decision to hold the imperial examination in March of the next year. Although some officials were reluctant, at this point they no longer had any room for objection and could only obey the order.

Li Siyuan still had a dazed look on his face until the end of the court session.

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After returning to the Prince of Jin's Mansion, Li Siyuan dismissed the servants. He became angrier and angrier, and finally he even smashed everything in the room.