Established a millennium family since King Wu defeated Zhou

Chapter 885 The end of all major events in the first year of Zhenguan

Emperor Zhenguan's concern for world affairs was noticed by everyone in the world. From the official start of the first year of Zhenguan, in less than six months, thirteen edicts and more than forty edicts were issued from three provinces.

In the second half of the first year of Zhenguan, the emperor and the prime ministers no longer implemented major policies, but began to test the edicts in the first half of the year and the implementation of the edicts in prefectures and counties.

This was an extremely complicated task, and both Li Shimin and the prime minister were well prepared. As early as when the edict was issued, Li Shimin said solemnly in the political hall, "Now that the edict is issued, it is impossible to get the lower-level officials to obey it." Yes, all gentlemen, please cheer up. I guess something will happen soon, something that goes against the will and something of one's own initiative will happen. "

The predictions of Li Shimin and the prime ministers were completely correct.

From the time of Wude to Zhenguan, the political power changed, and there were too many people who wanted to have their hands on it. There will never be a shortage of people in the world who can figure out what is best.

Say one thing and do another, too much has happened in these hundreds of years.

Don’t talk about things that are too far away to be counted.

Just talk about the Tang Dynasty.

Wang Shichong was exiled and then killed on the road. The person who killed Wang Shichong was demoted for a short time and soon rose again. Who didn't know that this was Li Yuan's intention.

Wei Zheng Shiran returned to his seat and sat down, which troubled Li Shimin.

The actions of Youzhou Governor Shi Wangjunkuo and Yizhou Daoxingtai Zuopu She Dougui were nothing more than relying on the Zhenguan Law. If there is evidence of rebellion, if the rebels try to resist, they can be killed in the same place.

Reconciliate on the surface first, don't cause a big mess, lure the snake out of the hole, and then confess, wait until the situation is stable, and then deprive power. Finally, find the crimes and mistakes, catch them all, and kill them all with righteousness.

But it is precisely because of this that whether or not to kill Li Ai is very demonstrative, because there are really many people in the clan who take sides.

As early as January this year, His Majesty had already issued an edict not to accept cases of rebellion for three years, and Datang canceled the case of rebellion for three years.

Wang Junkuo killed Li Ai without saying a word. In his opinion, this was a blatant disobedience to his orders and a violation of the court's major policies.

These envoys from the governor's offices in various places entered the Ministry of War Yamen unimpeded, and the matter was quickly presented to the political hall. When the prime ministers saw it, their faces were ugly. It was not a simple case of rebellion, involving relatives of the emperor and the country.

Luo Xuanchen only felt a little amused when he heard this. Wei Zheng was really a wonderful person, and he proposed a solution that was difficult to implement.

This is not one question, but two. First of all, what to deal with?
It was Wang Junkuo who killed Li Ai.

As soon as he came up, he flipped the table with reason.

These people cannot even be said to be simple traitors.

A lesson for the past and a guide for the future!
"We, the ministers, must take the initiative to share your Majesty's worries. Your Majesty is wise and powerful, so naturally we cannot do such dirty work. If we are not sensible, we will really kill these thieves, rebellious sinners, and enemies of His Majesty who once tried to kill him. If we let them go and let them go free, then His Majesty will have to be held there, then this is our fault! "

The assistant minister of the Procuratorate and Criminal Department was Wei Zheng, and Li Shimin promoted him to an official position.

But Li Shimin was not happy at all!
Li Ai was the one who supported Li Jiancheng in the clan, and Li Shimin knew this very well.

He had no expression on his face and asked in a cold voice: "My lords, tell me what you think and how to handle this matter."

Just like Li Yuan's attitude towards Du Fuwei before, there are too many people with this attitude in prefectures and counties, especially in Shandong.

Let me ask, how many people would really believe that Li Shimin would forgive his enemies when he was almost killed? Since ancient times, how many people can have such true magnanimity?

In June of the first year of Zhenguan.

One of the assistant officials hesitated and said, "But didn't His Majesty clearly say that he wants to reconcile? Isn't it bad for us to speculate like this?"

Tsk.

Li Shimin forcibly suppressed his anger and calmed down. As the saying goes, a king cannot be angry and raise an army. In the same way, a king cannot govern a country in anger. Li Shimin, who is still young, is a terrible sage, wise and decisive.

The edict is in the law, but the law is invalid, so the law the two relied on does not exist. Those two people are suspected of killing a high official of the court without reason and should be executed. This is my opinion on this matter. "

Wei Zheng didn't have anything bad to say because this matter involved Li Jiancheng's old affairs. He walked out of the seat, stood in the hall, stood up in the hall with his hands folded, and talked: "Since Fang Xiangyan said that I am the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, I will use the law of Zhenguan, Advice to His Majesty.

Because most kings, even those who are very good, are accustomed to these political tactics, the bureaucrats will naturally use political tactics to figure out the king, which ultimately leads to this situation.

Li Shimin's face was very ugly. Li Ai, the governor of Youzhou, the king of Lujiang, had rebelled and had been killed by the governor Shi Wangjunkuo. Zuopushe, the minister of Yizhou Xingtai, reported the rebellion to the minister of war in Yizhou, and the rebels had also been killed.

According to Li Shimin's thinking, even if Li Ai really rebelled, Wang Junkuo should not kill him directly, because from the first year of Zhenguan to the third year of Zhenguan, there were no cases of rebellion in the Tang Dynasty!

It's a pity that they met a real living holy king, and he was a holy king who walked the majestic road, Li Shimin!
Especially now that Li Shimin has just become the emperor, he only has endless pride in his heart. He only wants to treat others with sincerity and disdains those imperial skills.

Seeing that no one spoke, Li Shimin stretched out his hand and called out: "Fang Xuanling, you have always been very scheming, please tell me."

This issue must be submitted to the emperor immediately, and the group hurriedly entered the palace.

How to deal with it?

Not all of them are magnanimous on the surface, but they look for opportunities to kill them secretly!

No wonder the prime minister directly handed these matters to him. They really couldn't handle these matters and could only give suggestions but not make decisions.

Or deal with Wang Junkuo?
If you don't understand this, you won't be able to grasp the scale of subsequent processing.

……

You should read more books, this happened not just once or twice in history, but hundreds of times! "

Although Wei Zheng was the prime minister, his official rank was too low, so Li Shimin raised his rank so that he no longer had to sit in the Ministry of Punishments and could still serve as a critic in the political affairs hall.

Wang Junkuo didn't even give the court a chance to appease him. This is a typical example of wanting to gain advancement based on merit!
As for the Yizhou incident, it was not that serious, but it was also the relatives of the Dou family who used the downfall of Prince Jiancheng to eliminate dissidents, and the people who did it were Dou's relatives.

His Majesty's edict is approved by the Political Council and then handed over to the Shangshu Province for execution. Its effectiveness is equivalent to, or even superior to, the Zhenguan Law.

"Which king in history didn't say this? But in the end, which king didn't liquidate his political opponents?

The dusty envoys galloped all the way from Youzhou, Yizhou, and Yangzhou to Chang'an. They looked very haggard and had dirty faces, but no one dared to stop or look down on them, because they were all carrying heavy weapons on their backs. Urgent military order.

However, Fang Xuanling said: "Your Majesty, the Vice Minister of the Examination and Punishment Department is here. You should ask the Vice Minister of the Punishment Department for his opinion."

Naturally, he didn't care about Wang Junkuo's life, but it was different politically.

Li Shimin couldn't really kill people who were loyal to him just because of this kind of thing, but the reconciliation plan couldn't be ruined, so there must be other solutions.

Li Shimin asked again calmly: "What do you think Wei Zheng thinks?"

Now Fang Xuanling knew that he could no longer pretend to be dead, and he said slowly: "Your Majesty, I believe that this matter cannot be rewarded, but must be punished.

The reconciliation with Prince Yin and the Prince Chu's faction is related to the important affairs of the country.

But Wei Shilang's suggestion of killing him directly was indeed a bit too extreme.

What is being discussed now is how to punish him. I think you can issue an edict to reprimand him for violating the edict, and then impose a fine and a grounding to express your attitude to the world. "

"Your Majesty, it's too light!"

As soon as Fang Xuanling finished speaking, Luo Xuanchen immediately stepped forward and said seriously: "Your Majesty, the punishment is too light. It is so light that people will think it was ordered by you. Some people will guess that when this matter is over, , you will reinstate other officials, or even promote them, and more people will take risks to do this kind of thing.

If you want to punish someone, you have to look for a typical person. The long history of a governor's office is a very typical person. He is a feudal official with a high position and authority in the local area, so he can be used as a warning object.

Moreover, Your Majesty, my third brother once mentioned Li Ai and Wang Junkuo in Youzhou.

I also took charge of the government of the world. I heard someone mentioned that this Wang Junkuo had a very good relationship with Li Ai, the former king of Lujiang. Li Ai had no military talent, so he obeyed Wang Junkuo in Youzhou and even wanted to have children with Wang Junkuo. relatives by marriage.

From this point of view, although Li Ai is incompetent, she knows how much she has.

Why would he directly rebel? How dare he rebel against Your Majesty? He doesn't even know how to command an army. This is unreasonable.

Now Wang Junkuo directly beheaded Li Ai, and then categorically said that Li Ai had rebelled. Is there any hidden secret in this? "

Li Shimin sat upright when he heard this. Everyone else looked over with surprised expressions. Luo Xuanchen's words made sense. Li Shimin asked directly: "Ji Chen, what do you think you have hidden behind?"

Luo Xuanchen said directly: "I am just guessing, and I cannot guarantee that it is correct. However, in the biography of Sang Hongyang in the Han Dynasty, it was recorded that 'the blood of the King of Jiaodong is precious to Hongyang.' Sang Hongyang used the blood of the King of Jiaodong to make the Honor yourself.

Now the blood of King Lujiang can probably make Wang Junkuo noble. Does he really not have such an idea in his heart?

Your Majesty can go check it out and find out whether he is a loyal minister of Your Majesty and the Tang Dynasty or a speculative villain. "

Words are a sharp sword for killing people, especially words spoken by people with good reputations, which carry infinite power.

Smart people even heard some overtones from Luo Xuanchen's words that only talked about Wang Junkuo and not about Dou Gui. It seemed that Luo Xuanchen did have some understanding of Wang Junkuo. These words were not just mere guesses.

This made everyone think of the third brother Luo Xuanchen just mentioned, another legitimate son of the Luo family, Luo Xuanxing. After Luo Su came to Chang'an, Luo Xuanxing had been staying near Youzhou.

Most of the eighteen tribes that Luo Xuanxing gave their surnames to were in Youzhou and Liaodong near Youzhou, and the daredevils under Luo Xuanxing were also here.

So far, these people have no conflict with Datang. The Tang court has not yet figured out how to deal with the relationship with these people.

Because there was another agricultural power in the Northeast, the Liaodong Kingdom, which had never surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.

Some people were thoughtful. It seemed that Luo Xuanxing said something, so Luo Xuanchen had some understanding of Wang Junkuo, who was thousands of miles away.

Li Shimin's expression was a little ugly. As a powerful monarch, he naturally couldn't tolerate it. He became a tool for his subordinates to fight for power and profit, and used the Xuanwu Gate incident to seek benefits for himself.

He pondered for a moment, then said with murderous intent: "I think what Wei Zheng and Luo Xuanchen just said are very reasonable. This matter is related to the great cause of the country, and everyone in the world must see my determination to reconcile. Decree He severely reprimanded Wang Junkuo, deprived him of his title, removed him from the position of governor of Youzhou, and exiled him to Lingnan. He set out immediately without delay.

The order was issued to severely rebuke Dou Gui, deprive him of his lordship, remove him from the official post of Xingtai Zuopushe, and exile him to southwest Guizhou. He was to set off immediately without delay.

Appointment envoys of Hebei Province and Yizhou Province were appointed to explain the imperial edicts again and express the imperial wishes to the people of the world.

Appoint the Supervisory Envoy of Hebei Province to investigate the rebellion case of Lujiang King Li Ai to see if there are any hidden secrets in it, and whether there is anyone involved in making trouble secretly and deceiving the court. If Wang Junkuo is really involved in this case, kill him.

If you still have any objections, please follow this rule. "

A word from the emperor can determine a person's life or death, and a word from the prime minister can change the emperor's attitude. This is where the power of the imperial court lies.

The reason why Li Shimin likes to call all the prime ministers of the Political Affairs Hall to a meeting together is very simple. After calling these people to have a meeting together, after the meeting, a common resolution is formed, and then the process of the three provinces is really just a process.

Otherwise, if he gives an order here, but the subordinates reject it, it will be too troublesome to go back and forth. It is better to discuss it directly with the prime minister and the emperor and come quickly.

Regarding the matter of Wang Junkuo and Dou Gui, the prime ministers were dissatisfied from the beginning, thinking that these two people were causing trouble. There were indeed rebellions in the world, but how could Li Ai and a mere Xingtai Shangshu dare to rebel?
Normally, the emperor would be remonstrating for such a ruthless act. But now that these two people are seeking death, no wonder they are ruthless.

"I have no objection. Reconciliation in the world is the foundation of the country. Wang Junkuo and Dou Gui should be severely punished for their bad deeds."

"I have no objection!"

Several prime ministers expressed their attitudes, and Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction. This was the best situation. The prime ministers had the same idea as him. Even Wei Zheng, the old arrogant man, did not argue with him.

If only it could always be like this.

After the prime ministers left one after another, Li Shimin walked out of the palace and felt a pressure coming on him. This was only the first year and he had encountered such a difficult matter. It was unknown how much pressure the New Deal would encounter in the future.

The imperial edict was quickly sent out after passing through the three provinces. The newly appointed envoy of Hebei Province was Tang Jian, who was also an old official of the Qin Palace. As he set off, news gradually began to spread in Chang'an that Li Ai, the governor of Youzhou, the king of Lujiang, had rebelled and was killed by You. Wang Junkuo, the chief historian of the prefecture's governor's office, was pacified.

The envoy from Youzhou came to report this news. The moment this news came out, it immediately spread throughout the streets and alleys of Chang'an officialdom. It caused an uproar almost instantly. The people who had just felt at ease began to panic again. Did Your Majesty start liquidation so soon?
Immediately afterwards, the news from the palace and the three provinces began to reassure people.

When they heard that the emperor had beaten the two of them to death and exiled them to those savage places full of miasma instead of places like Luling, everyone knew that His Majesty was not just showing off, but was really angry.

Especially after I heard that the emperor believed that there was a trap, so he had sent an inspector to conduct a thorough investigation.

"Your Majesty said that he does not believe that under the amnesty, there are still people who will risk their lives to rebel. He believes that everyone will unite under the Zhenguan New Deal. Those so-called rebellions are frame-ups. He will repay those A framed innocence.”

"Your Majesty is truly a holy king in this world. A king who is as perceptive as your Majesty and who cares so much about his subjects is probably rare in ancient times. How lucky are we to be born in the age of Zhenguan?"

"I have long said that when His Majesty talks about an amnesty, it means a true amnesty. When His Majesty was still the King of Qin, there were many talents recruited from other forces in the palace. His Majesty is open to all rivers and has an extremely broad mind. He is just a hidden prince. , what does it matter?"

Countless such remarks are spread in the streets, which represents the current public sentiment. Reconciliation is indeed the general trend. Only by putting aside disputes and hatred as soon as possible can everyone focus on building the Zhenguan New Deal.

Wang Junkuo, who was far away in the Governor's Mansion in Youzhou, thought that he was about to receive a promotion to an official position, but he did not expect that what he received was a series of imperial edicts that denounced him and took away all his power.

After the imperial edict was read out, he asked with some disbelief: "Envoy, did you read it wrong? I am the hero who put down the rebellion of King Dingzong. How can I treat the hero like this?"

Tang Jian sneered and then said fiercely: "Where can the prince rebel?

In the Tang Dynasty, we are not accused of treason by the clan king. You killed the clan king without authorization and did not kill you directly. This was based on the merits you have made and to leave you some dignity.

According to the imperial edict, you must set off for Lingnan immediately. Let's go, Wang Changshi, no, common man Wang Junkuo! "

Tang Jian came to Youzhou not only to read out the imperial edict, but also to find out what happened when Li Ai rebelled.

It can be said that the tree fell and the hozen scattered.

As soon as Wang Junkuo fell, many of the servants in his mansion immediately betrayed him.

Things are really turning, and today it is Wang Junkuo's turn to be unlucky.

After Tang Jian found out what was going on here, he hurried back to Chang'an.

Jinggonghui reported: "Your Majesty, this Wang Junkuo is indeed involved in the rebellion of King Lujiang. According to Wang Junkuo's subordinates, Wang Junkuo instigated the rebellion of King Li Ai of Lujiang.

It was Wang Junkuo who told Li Ai that his majesty could not let him go and that he should make plans in advance. He also hinted to Li Ai that he would help Li Ai. Li Ai believed it and detained the imperial envoy out of fear.

As a result, Wang Junkuo simply deceived him. He turned around and led his soldiers to surround Li Ai's mansion, and then killed Li Ai directly.

It is said that before Li Ai died, he said, "Wang Junkuo, you despicable villain, I will wait for you under the underworld." One can imagine how resentful Li Ai was towards Wang Junkuo. "

When Li Shimin heard this, he quickly walked a few steps in the palace, took a few deep breaths, and said in a hateful voice: "This Wang Junkuo really deserves to die. Let him die in Lingnan and never come back again."

Tang Jian was a little dumbfounded when he heard it. Should he kill him directly?
Before he could remonstrate, Li Shimin realized his mistake and said instead: "I can't break the court's laws because of such a despicable villain. I will publicize the results of your investigation to the Ministry of Punishment, and then go to the three provinces to find the prime minister." Issue decrees in accordance with the imperial system and laws.

Kill him to give other people who are ready to take action some warning and tell them that there are certain things they cannot do. "

Tang Jian was relieved. Your Majesty still knows the importance. As Li Shimin said, it is really not worth it to corrupt the country's laws just because of a king.

He took the order and left in a hurry. The expression on Li Shimin's face was very complicated, naturally mixed with anger and sadness, but also a little relieved. At least he didn't really kill his hero. This was considered a big deal. Good thing.

The result of this matter was soon announced. This was a result that no one expected. The king of Lujiang, Li Ai, was actually stimulated to rebel.

Now Li Shimin's previous actions were even more winning over people's hearts, causing the ministers to shout that the Holy Spirit was correct.

The biggest event in the first year of Zhenguan came to an end in this way. In all states of the Tang Dynasty, many people were ready to take action. However, after seeing Wang Junkuo's fate, these people who were ready to take action stopped almost instantly. operation.

The emperor's attitude is too obvious. Even if there is a rebellion, as long as you dare to report it, the person who reported it will be punished.

In other words, during these three years, even if there is a local rebellion, local officials will not be punished, which is a good thing.

Faced with the sharp decrease in conflicts and the reporting of rebellion, Li Shimin and the prime ministers knew that after this incident, the matter between the Hidden Prince Party and the Chu Rogue King Party was really over.

No one will doubt the emperor's sincerity anymore!

This judgment was quickly verified. Some officials from the East Palace who had been on the run appeared in Shandong one after another and took the initiative to seek refuge with the government. Li Shimin once again reiterated the amnesty order with a stroke of his pen.

"All the former officials of the East Palace and the officials of the King of Chu do not need to surrender. They can report to the Ministry of Personnel according to their original official positions and have them re-evaluated."

Not only did he save his life, he even retained his official status, which was beyond most people's expectations.

Li Shimin's reputation rose sharply in this incident, and the effect of reducing political power and lenient sentences was also very good.

During the period of recuperation, non-interference by the government was the best way to govern. Under the operation of the prime ministers, except for water conservancy repairs, almost all large-scale projects were stopped, which greatly reduced the number of corvee labor.

Coupled with the defensive strategy pursued by the Tang Dynasty, it did not take the initiative to attack the Turks, but fought some small-scale wars with the Turks on the border. It did not require a large number of auxiliary troops, and the requirements for military service were also extremely low.

Under this major policy, the Tang Dynasty recovered very quickly, and its population was already very large, although it was much less than when the Sui Dynasty was at its peak.

But because Li Tang unified the world so quickly, the population of 30 million was still very tyrannical.

You must know that at its peak, the Central Plains had a population of less than 60 million. Adding in the Western Regions and other foreign vassals, the population was more than 60 million. Now the Central Plains has a population of 30 million, which is basically enough to support almost All internal and external strategies.

……

In August of the first year of Zhenguan, a major event happened, that is, Li Shimin's eldest son Li Chengqian was canonized as prince and officially entered the East Palace. This was a highly anticipated event.

At this time, one person's status instantly became a little different.

It can even be said that everyone in Juchao's eyes turned towards him, he was Luo Xuanye.

Luo Xuanye's status in the current Tang court is very different, because his status is too high. Since the award in the first year of Zhenguan, Luo Xuanye has never held any practical position that can make meritorious deeds.

Because he has reached a point where he cannot be promoted or sealed.

The most common thing he did was go to the palace and drink with Li Shimin, which was similar to Pei Ji who was next to Li Yuan.

After Li Chengqian was established as the prince, after Li Chengqian paid homage to Li Shimin and Queen Changsun, he came to pay homage to Luo Xuanye.

Because Luo Xuanye is the crown prince’s grand master and crown prince’s guardian!
These two official positions are the highest in the Tang Dynasty, because there are no non-princes or princes in the Tang Dynasty who hold the position of the first rank, three princes and three divisions.

Therefore, his first-grade official position is already at the top.

Now that Luo Xuanye serves as the crown prince's grand master and crown prince's guardian, he is destined to have a certain relationship with the crown prince. Under such circumstances, a new appointment was soon made.

Luo Juncheng, Luo Xuanye's eldest son, entered the East Palace to study with Prince Li Chengqian.

There is no doubt that Luo Juncheng will be the prince's teammate in the future, and he has Luo Xuanye to protect him, coupled with the status of Queen Changsun, and the trust of Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji.

Li Chengqian's position as prince is much more secure than that of his uncle.

----

As the curtain falls on the first year of Zhenguan, we may not be able to draw a conclusion based solely on one year in power, but the fact is that in the first year of Zhenguan alone, Li Shimin and his prime ministers faced almost all challenges they faced. Perfect answer sheet.

During this year, the Tang Dynasty not only determined its major political policies for the next few years, but also promulgated the imperial examination system, a far-reaching official selection system.

In the fifth year after the unification of the world, the common people finally felt the kindness and dew from the central court. In a certain sense, it was not until the first year of Zhenguan that the Tang Dynasty finally began to assume the responsibilities that a unified dynasty should bear. responsibility.

This situation began to end in the third year of Zhenguan. This is the content of the next section. ——"The Rise and Fall of the Tang Empire"

(End of this chapter)