Chapter 4940 Yuan Ri Dynasty Meeting
In the third year of Renhe, the first day of the first lunar month.
It was still dark, the night was deep, and the cold wind was blowing in the streets. Last night, the city was full of fireworks and stars were falling like rain. When the smoke cleared, the cold wind remained.
The gates of each square were opened, and countless carriages and horses filed out from various quarters. Lanterns were hung on the fronts of the carriages and horses, as if fire dragons of light and shadow were gathering towards Chengtian Gate.
During the Zhengdan Great Court Meeting, all Beijing officials of ninth grade and above, envoys sent by local state governments to the capital to attend the meeting, candidates from the Imperial College and local state and county school graduates who participated in the Ministry of Rites imperial examination, as well as foreigners from surrounding foreign countries were sent to Chang'an to pay tribute. and visiting chiefs and envoys are all eligible to participate.
At Mao hour, the palace doors were opened one after another. Under the light of the lights, the palace was majestic and the pavilions were thick. Groups of heavily armed Imperial Guards with helmets and armor came out from the inside with neat steps, their military boots stepping on the masonry on the ground. There is a clanging sound, Especially when passing by the Chengtianmen gate, the sound of footsteps suddenly amplified, the swords were sharp, the swords and spears were like a forest, and a strong chilling air rushed towards their faces. Many chiefs and envoys of small foreign countries couldn't help but feel worried and timid. All trembled.
This is the majesty of the heavenly kingdom!
As the bells rang, under the guidance of the chamberlain, the officials attending the imperial meeting filed in according to their rank.
More than a thousand people poured into Chengtianmen together, standing on the square and looking up at the towering Tai Chi Hall on the white jade pedestal. The night was dim, the light was shining in the east, and the lights outlined the outline of the double eaves and brackets, making people feel more and more like a high mountain. Stop and be in awe.
Li Ji was wearing court uniform and walking steadily. He looked back at the crowds of people in the square, rubbing shoulders with each other. The officials of the Tang Dynasty held their breath and followed the rules, while the chiefs and envoys from foreign countries were looking around, whispering, and making a little noise.
The official of the Ministry of Rites stood on the steps, guessing that the time had come, then turned around and climbed up the steps, followed by a group of ministers according to their rank.
Just as Li Ji raised his feet, he suddenly felt his sleeve being pulled by someone. He looked up in shock, but it was Li Xiaogong who gently pulled him and shook his head slightly.
Li Ji was puzzled at first, then suddenly realized, turned slightly sideways, and made a "please" gesture to Fang Jun behind him.
Ever since Changsun Wuji was defeated and committed suicide, he, Shangshu Zuopushe, was undoubtedly the number one person in the court. Every time he formally went to court, he was ranked first, so he subconsciously still stood in the first place, but for a while, he was the first person in the court. Forget that after Changsun Wuji's "Situ", there was now another "Taiwei" with an official position above him.
Fortunately, Li Xiaogong stopped him, and he almost broke the rules and caused a joke...
Fang Jun smiled. This was not a time to talk about seniority or politeness. He bowed to Li Ji and climbed up the steps first, doing his part.
Li Ji's eyes were deep, and his heart was full of mixed feelings.
He is not a power-hungry person, but seeing his younger generation, the young and excessive Fang Jun, being the first to climb the steps, he still inevitably feels jealous.
A thought suddenly arose in my heart: Just now I was in a daze and wanted to take the lead, but no one reminded me except Li Xiaogong. Could it be that they all wanted to see me make a joke? Especially since Fang Jun is right behind him, does he also have such thoughts and deliberately use this to damage his reputation?
He looked at Fang Jun's back, then looked back at the ministers behind him. He was confused at the moment, silent and following suit.
……
The newly built Tai Chi Hall is as bright as day and splendid. The water-milled gold bricks reflect the dome and human figures. Thirty-six huge beams support the entire building. The emperor's throne above the Danbi has complex patterns and is magnificent.
Soon, the emperor arrived and the court meeting began.
Many officials looked at Fang Jun, who was standing solemnly on the west side, and were filled with emotion. They recalled the Yuan Dynasty meeting in the 13th year of Zhenguan. This man was not even qualified to enter the palace and could only stand in the cold wind outside the palace. She cowered like a quail, and then was summoned into the main hall by Emperor Taizong and presented the "Zhenguan Plow". From then on, Jane was in the emperor's heart and soared, starting a legendary career experience...
There is naturally envy and jealousy, after all, there are not many living Taiwei in the past, but after counting Fang Jun's past achievements, and the most important service of serving the dragon, few people think that Fang Jun's current official position and power are not worthy of the name.
Defeating the rebels twice in a row and helping His Majesty secure the throne is enough to deserve all the honors and treatment.
On the other hand, Li Ji, who was the undisputed number one person in the dynasty before, did nothing or even stood by during the rebellion of Changsun Wuji and the King of Jin. As a result, he lost the favor of the Holy Family and had to succumb to the throne as a minister of Zhenguan. Under Fang Jun...
This is what officialdom is like. The higher one reaches the top, the more one pays attention to one's position.
The Great Court Meeting generally does not handle government affairs, but is more like a large-scale celebration. The ministers sing praises and praise the prosperous times, and the emperor accepts tribute from foreign countries, so that these foreign chiefs and envoys can feel the majesty of the heavenly kingdom, and then feel their hearts. Be reverent and willing to obey...
The Tang Empire was prosperous and its territory was vast, so the process of "praising virtues" was naturally long. The chiefs of the three provinces, six ministries, nine temples, and each central government office had to report one by one to summarize the government affairs of the past year. The top leaders of all prefectures and counties in the world Or the second-in-command has to report on the political achievements within the jurisdiction, including the economy, people's livelihood and other aspects.
After that, the foreign tribes from various foreign countries presented tributes and congratulations. They advocated the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and the honor of the monarch. They were willing to be vassals of the Tang Dynasty and submit to them for generations. They implored the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to give him many gifts for the sake of his obedience. Reward, so that the small country and the few people can feel the wealth and prosperity of the heavenly country...
Since the Qin and Han dynasties, such situations have been commonplace. Most of them are fake. They randomly pick up a country name, carve a seal with fruit, and then claim to be the envoy of a country. They take some worthless local specialties and travel all the way to the heavenly kingdom to talk about some things. If you are obedient and obedient, you will be rewarded dozens or even hundreds of times. This has already become a trend.
But today is different from the past. As the Tang Dynasty's navy traveled across the ocean, many small countries have discovered their locations and conditions in the country. Every country of some size has officials from the Tang Dynasty stationed there, and at least there will be caravans for trade. , but I can't think about cheating like before.
Therefore, the number of foreign chiefs and envoys dropped sharply...
……
Mononobe Ashikaga was among the tributes from the Kingdom of Japan. When he knelt in the main hall to congratulate the New Year and presented a congratulatory table, he was surrounded by water-milled gold bricks and a glorious and high dome above his head. The Emperor of Tang Dynasty was sitting majestically. Above Danbi, there is a majestic and majestic appearance. The huge palace is so extravagant and luxurious that it would be difficult to build it even with all the efforts of the Japanese nation. My heart is full of worship and admiration.
Especially when I looked up and saw the young man wearing a purple robe and a soft-footed futon headed by the officials of the Tang Dynasty, I was even more in awe.
Tang Taiwei, Yue Guogong, Fang Jun.
It was this man who single-handedly created the imperial navy of the Tang Dynasty, with powerful ships and cannons roaming the seven seas. Although he never went to war with Japan directly, he provoked strife between the Soga family and the emperor, which led to the severance of the emperor's bloodline and even supported the Ezo people. They launched a war to help them land on the main island of Honshu, and attacked the city from north to south. The Ezo people, who had been slaves of the Japanese for generations, actually won many battles, occupying most of the territory of the Japanese country, and their troops reached Asukakyo.
To this day, in order to fight against the Eni people who came from the north, as well as the Goguryeo and Baekje people who were subjugated and exiled, the Japanese had to cede land and donate money to the Tang Dynasty, sell their sovereignty, and live in peace...
Of course there is hatred, but more of it is awe.
Especially this time I came to Datang in person as an envoy. From the moment I got off the ship, everything I saw showed the powerful heritage of Datang, the most powerful country in the world, with prosperous cities, dense population, and elite army... Although Monobe Ashikaga considered himself talented and capable, and was confident of quelling the rebellion in Japan and continuing the innovations of Emperor Kotoku. However, facing such a powerful Tang Dynasty, he was inevitably discouraged and frightened.
Since we can't win the battle, we have no choice but to surrender.
If you can become the best among the many vassals of the Tang Dynasty, even if you are treated as a hunting dog, it will be a supreme honor...
……
Near dusk, the court meeting finally ended, and then there was a banquet in the Liangyi Hall to entertain the royal relatives, ministers of the court, and the chiefs and envoys of the Hu tribe in Fanbang.
This used to be His Majesty Li Er's favorite repertoire. During banquets, His Majesty Li Er would often bare his breasts and show his body in a wild manner when he was drunk. Not only did he pull the Turkic Khan to dance the Hu Xuan dance, play hut with the ministers, but also played with the ministers. Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong and others were sparring and fighting in the main hall.
The prestige of the Hu people in Fanbang was mostly generated under such circumstances. The strong personality charm convinced the Hu people who had to surrender and surrender, and they were willing to praise His Majesty Li Er as the "Khan of Heaven". He has been dormant under the wings of the Tang Dynasty for generations, and even pioneered and expanded territory for the emperor.
The army of the Tang Dynasty often used the Hu cavalry as the vanguard, which was a tradition left in the era of His Majesty Li Er. Those Hu people who were attached were loyal and willing to sacrifice their lives and blood for the Tang Dynasty.
Until the Emperor Tang Ming, who claimed to be a "sage", screwed up and pushed the prosperous dynasty into an abyss of eternal destruction...
Surprisingly, Li Chengqian also liked such occasions.
When the wine was full, he even ignored the dissuasion of the servants around him, took off Ashina Simo's Turkic clothes and put them on himself, and together they walked arm in arm, singing and dancing in the main hall.
All the ministers looked at each other. Although being so "approachable" could indeed dispel the wariness of the Hu people and make the Hu people more integrated into the Tang Dynasty, after all, he was the supreme leader of the Ninth Five-Year Plan and the master of a country, so it was inevitable that it would be inappropriate.
But under such circumstances, it is impossible to persuade him, otherwise it will inevitably cause his Majesty to lose face, so he can only let it go.
However, many members of the clan sneered and were extremely disdainful of Li Chengqian's words and deeds. How can such people, who favor treacherous people and have no dignity, steal the ninth-five position?