Chapter 3199 Beating Flattery
Chang'an, Xingqing Palace.
The howling autumn wind stirred up the withered yellow leaves in the sky. The grass in the garden was withered and the prosperity was gone. The majestic palaces and pavilions seemed to be filled with an aura of decadence and desolation.
Xingqing Palace was originally a palace during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. Later, Daxing Palace was built as the emperor's residence and the center of the court, and was gradually abandoned.
After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Daxing Palace was renamed Taiji Palace, and Xingqing Palace became increasingly abandoned. Later, it was briefly used as the residence of the great ancestor Li Yuan after his abdication...
In the main hall, Prince Li Chengqian was in the middle, Xiao Yu, Cen Wenwen, Liu Jie and others were lined up on the left and right, listening to the memorial from Cui Dunli, the left minister of the Ministry of War in front of them.
Since most of the Youtun Guards followed Fang Jun out of Hexi, Prince Li Chengqian temporarily moved to Xingqing Palace under the persuasion of Xiao Yu, Cen Wenwen and others, and also moved the cabinet with him.
……
Cui Dunli knelt down behind a low table, put the memorial on the low table, and said in a clear voice: "The Duke of Yue fought in Hexi. There were more than 30,000 enemy bandits, and nearly 20,000 prisoners, including Tuyuhun. Fuzhong, the eldest son of Khan Nuohebo... was truly a resounding victory. More than 20,000 Tuyuhun troops followed Nuohebo and fled in panic, and peace returned to Hexi. "
Although the news of the great victory in Hexi had come long ago, these prime ministers were still excited and excited every time they heard about it.
Who would have thought that such a battle that could have endangered Guanzhong was defeated abruptly by Fang Jun and half of the right guards?
The people here may have different positions and different demands, but without exception, no one wants to see the enemy troops reaching Guanzhong, causing Chang'an to be shaken, the country to be destabilized, and the rule of the Tang Empire to be seriously threatened.
At least at this stage, a peaceful, stable and prosperous Tang Empire would support the interests of all forces in the court.
Those who really want to shake the foundation of the country, bring chaos to the government, and bring the existing order to the brink of collapse are only those who are in the dark, unable to reap benefits from the court, and who are deeply suppressed by the government...
Xiao Yu glanced at the prince and saw that although he was sitting upright, he was trying hard to hide the excitement on his face, which showed how excited he was.
It’s no wonder that everyone in the government and the public initially believed that this would be a major crisis for His Royal Highness, because once Hexi fell and Guanzhong was in danger, he would immediately be regarded as “unworthy of his moral character” and “unable to be favored by Haotian”, which would lead to A fight that jeopardizes reserves.
And once he is accused of those crimes, the crown prince's position will naturally be in danger.
I don’t know how many people are secretly holding back their joy, waiting to see the prince impeached by officials in a state of embarrassment, and then deposed after His Majesty returns to the court...
However, an incredible victory in Hexi turned the entire situation around.
Not only were all those crises resolved, but the prince's prestige suddenly increased. Since the fall of Hexi was due to "incompetent virtue" and "unable to be favored by Haotian", then it is not right to turn defeat into victory in the impossible, to defeat more with less. Does it mean that the prince is "destined to return"?
Moreover, the prince has never been a deep-tempered person, and it is already rare to be able to suppress his excitement and only show it on the surface.
Xiao Yu's mind was spinning and he asked: "I heard that the Tibetan envoy arrived in Chang'an yesterday, but did not pass the credentials through Honglu Temple. Instead, he rushed directly to the Yamen of the Ministry of War, and the Yamen of the Ministry of War presented his letter to His Highness the Prince... The Ministry of War has done a great job for its hard work. , but we cannot ignore the court regulations. ”
There was quite a bit of dissatisfaction in his words.
When Tibetan envoys come to Chang'an, they must be received by Honglu Temple for discussion, and then contacted, and then contact the various departments of the office. Even if the Tibetan envoys came to Chang'an, it was said to be a military matter between the two countries, and there was no rule that the Ministry of War would directly pick them up.
As Fang Jun's power and prestige continue to rise, the current Ministry of War has a vague tendency to be the first of the six. The officials in the Ministry are all Fang Jun's confidants. They are all arrogant and arrogant. Not only do they not take the other five ministries in their eyes, they even Even the three provinces have very limited restrictions on it.
Three provinces and six ministries restrict each other. If the Ministry of War is the dominant one, it will inevitably usurp the interests of others, which is somewhat inappropriate...
Nowadays, officials belonging to the Jiangnan noble clan are very dissatisfied and have complained in front of themselves more than once.
Xiao Yu was the leader of the Jiangnan gentry, and he was naturally responsible for maintaining the interests of his faction. If the Ministry of War was allowed to grow stronger and suppress other ministries, his prestige would decline. Therefore, both publicly and privately, he had to stand up and beat him.
Cui Dunli's expression remained unchanged and his words were respectful: "The Duke of Song Dynasty knows that the person coming from Tibet this time is Lun Qinling, the second son of Lu Dongzan. He represents his family to discuss the defense of Hexi with the Tang Dynasty. He is not an envoy from Tibet. Datang. Therefore, this matter has nothing to do with Honglu Temple. It only needs to be reported to the Ministry of War, and then It can be submitted to His Highness the Crown Prince for a decision, or it can be discussed through the Political Hall. If it is first circulated through Honglu Temple, then submitted to the disciples, and then presented to His Highness the Crown Prince, and finally assigned to the Ministry of War... it is really a cumbersome step, half the result with twice the effort, and a waste of time for the central government. Manpower and material resources.”
His attitude was very respectful, but he immediately pushed Xiao Yu back.
Xiao Yu looked a little embarrassed, but he didn't fall out with Cui Dunli. Cui Dunli was nothing, but Fang Jun behind him was the top ally of the Jiangnan gentry. We couldn't let the two sides get into trouble over such a trivial matter.
I originally thought that the aristocratic families would unite to exclude Fang Jun from participating in the Eastern Expedition, making it difficult for him to win military glory, but he did not expect that Tuyuhun would come to his doorstep, which contributed to Fang Jun's "Hexi Great Victory" that shocked the world and skyrocketed his reputation. At the same time, he also made great achievements.
Nowadays, Fang Jun has grown up and stands strong as a banner of the military. Countless generals of the younger generation are following him. Not only can he no longer be able to suppress him as before, but no one can suppress him...
Li Chengqian smiled as he watched Xiao Yu beating Cui Dunli, and then smiled as Cui Dunli beat Xiao Yu back. Then he took out the memorial on the desk in front of him and handed it to the chamberlain beside him, ordering him to pass it on to Xiao Yu. , said: "This is the Duke of the State of Yue. The memorial sent back by the people from the west talks about the current situation in Tubo, as well as the suggestion that the Tang Dynasty and the Gar family should become mutual... strategic partners. Dear friends, please take a look at it. If you think it is meaningful, you might as well implement it in this way. .”
Xiao Yu was speechless.
We didn't even read anything written in the memorial, and you just approved it directly. How can we talk?
I feel a little depressed in my heart, feeling that the prince's trust and favor towards Fang Jun is getting worse and worse, which is not a good thing for the Jiangnan nobles...
After receiving the memorial from the chamberlain, he read it ten lines at a time, and then handed it to Cen Wenwen beside him. He frowned and picked up the tea cup and took a sip, but did not express his opinion easily.
After Cen Wenwen and Liu Jie had read it one after another, they handed the memorial to the chamberlain, who then placed it on the prince's desk.
Li Chengqian looked at the three prime ministers and asked: "My dear friends, do you have any opinions on this memorial? Do you think it is feasible?"
Xiao Yu stroked his beard and said nothing.
say what? You have previously stated that this memorial "has substance" and "should be allowed to be implemented." Even if we really have opinions, it can't refute the face of your Royal Highness, right?
It's really depressing.
Throughout the ages, nothing good has happened to anyone who has anything to do with "sycophants"...
He didn't speak and expressed his dissatisfaction with silence, but others didn't think so.
Liu Jie said: "I am a civil servant and have never experienced military affairs. I dare not speak lightly to the suggestions of the Duke of Yue. However, I think that the Duke of Yue has made great achievements in war and is a master of military use. Previously, his troops came out of Baidao to overthrow Xue Yantuo. This time there was another big battle. Pull out valleys and build forts to defeat Tuyuhun , Looking at the world, except for a few people such as Duke Wei and Duke Ying, who can do it? Therefore, since Duke Yue made such a suggestion, it must have been after comprehensive consideration, and we really have no qualifications to refute it. ”
What he said almost made Xiao Yu laugh angrily.
Please, you, Liu Jie, are now the servants, one of the prime ministers and assistants, the first-class high-ranking official in the world, and you are so shameless in flattering Fang Jun?
Flattery has no bottom line...
Even Li Chengqian's face trembled and the corners of his mouth twitched.
Glancing at Liu Ji, who looked "natural" and "seeking truth from facts," Li Chengqian said helplessly: "In government affairs, everyone has always been required to express their opinions and discuss matters on their own. The Gar family is a Tubo aristocrat, and they are intricately involved with Tubo. Is it as good as the Qin Dynasty?" As Ling said, he was suppressed and incompatible with each other. Songtsen Gampo even wanted to kill the Gar. Is the family in danger? This matter is related to the safety of Hexi and must be dealt with cautiously. You cannot acquiesce and refuse to refute just because Gu and the Duke of Yue have the same opinions. Although Gu is not as broad-minded as his father, he accepts advice with an open mind. But they are all the same. If you have something to think about, you can speak freely." (End of Chapter)