Chapter 2134 Sejong Chapter 9 Duangong Three Years
Xiang Deming (Shang Shu Ling), Liu Jichang (Shang Shu of the Ministry of Civil Affairs), Li Jilong (Privy Envoy), Murong Dechen (Shang Shu Zuocheng), Guo Yi (Shang Shu of the Ministry of War), Kou Zhun (Inspector of the Ministry of Civil Affairs), Xiang Minzhong (Envoy of the Ministry of Military Affairs)
Finance Envoy), Xu Shilian (Shang Shu of the Ministry of Justice), and Wang Qinruo (Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China). These nine people were the distribution of prime ministers in the Zhengshi Hall at the beginning of the Duangong Yuan Dynasty, and they basically represented the distribution of power structure of the entire court.
However, in less than three years, this power structure was fragmented. These influential figures who stood at the forefront of the empire's power left one after another for various reasons, giving up their positions and returning their power.
This is a process of kings advancing and ministers retreating. The whole process is far from peaceful, and even means chaos and disorder in itself. But in fact, the renewal of the political hall has been very smooth, so smooth that it gives people a sense of success.
.What is reflected behind this is naturally the low-key but powerful control ability of Emperor Duan Gong.
Needless to say, the downfall and resignation of the two prime ministers Liu Jichang and Xu Shilian were mentioned. In the summer of April of the second year of Duangong, Duke Leping and Privy Councilor Li Jilong died of illness at home, ending their magnificent lives.
Li Jilong is undoubtedly a dazzling star in the history of the Imperial Han Dynasty. He was a veteran of the four dynasties of Kaibao, Yongxi, Pingkang, and Duangong. The torrent of time cannot wash away his light, but he was the mainstay of the Kangzong Dynasty.
evaluation of.
He had a good background. He was favored by Liu Jia, the eldest princess of the world, at a young age. His consort did not hinder his ability to shine. He served in the army for decades, fought in the west and in the north, and made countless achievements on the battlefield with few defeats.
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Li Jilong's life was smooth, glorious, splendid, successful and famous, with almost no bad deeds. He was completely the template of a winner in life, a model of noble elites promoted by the court, and an object of worship for many heroes' children, even those who were faint.
The dim-witted disciples of Gaoliang dream and hope to live like Li Jilong.
Even though Li Jilong's background and status as consort are indispensable, no one can deny his outstanding military talents. Otherwise, there are so many heroes of the Han Dynasty and many princesses of the ancestors. Besides Yang Yanzhao, who else can reach Li Jilong's level?
Achievement.
He was perfect during his lifetime. After his death, for the merits of the empire, the Han prime minister, the emperor's uncle, and Liu Wenji also paid enough tributes and honors. After abolishing the dynasty, he was given Shinto inscriptions, entered the meritorious ministers' pavilion, and was kindly rewarded. These are all the due meanings.
, at the same time, Liu Wenji also allowed Li Jilong to enjoy the Ancestral Temple and posthumously presented it to Duke Lu.
Although Li Jilong was given lofty posthumous treatment, which could be regarded as the best for a human minister, it has to be said that even if Li Jilong had not died of illness, he would not have been able to hold the position of Privy Councilor for long.
From Yongxi, Pingkang to Duangong, Li Jilong has served as prime minister for a full ten years. Although this process belongs to a special period of the empire, and it plays a role in defending the regime and stabilizing the army during this special period, but for the emperor,
Especially for an emperor with a strong desire for control, his existence itself is a threat.
In the military system of the Han Dynasty, although the Privy Council only had the power to mobilize troops, combined with the lofty prestige Li Jilong had accumulated in the military during his decades of military service, and his multiple identities as noble, consort, veteran minister of the four dynasties, and imperial minister, the combination was enough.
The power it can exert is far beyond ordinary people's imagination.
Throughout the Pingkang era, it is impossible to say how many military mobilizations inside and outside the empire were led by Li Jilong, and how many suppressed local areas and suppressed bandits and suppressed rebellions were directed by Li Jilong. At the same time, if those
After digging out old stories and strictly following the rules, Li Jilong was not unjustly accused of violating the rules and taking power.
Liu Wenji was not that small-minded. What he wanted to target was not Li Jilong, but his identity and position. Out of his instinct to consolidate his rule and maintain imperial power, he needed to take some actions.
What really prompted Liu Wenji to make up his mind was when Li Jilong angrily criticized Xu Shilian in the first year of Duan Gong. He sent Xu Shilian and a group of censors to ban officials and demote him from the local government. Although Liu Wenji could understand to a certain extent Li Jilong's desire to safeguard the authority of the Privy Council and the interests of the army.
Yongxin even had opinions about Xu Shilian and others, but he just couldn't let go of the feeling of being "coerced" from his heart.
If there is such a thing, and for him to succeed, there must be two or three things. This can be inferred, and it is not something that an aspiring emperor can tolerate.
Liu Wenji was calm by nature, and became even more somber after he ascended the throne. Even though he was racking his brains to change horses, he didn't show it on his face at all. He even showed consideration and condolences to Li Jilong on a daily basis.
Li Jilong died of illness before the emperor took action, which saved Liu Wenji's troubles and at the same time left him a perfect reputation both during and after his death. This may also be a kind of luck.
Now that Li Jilong has left, a game about the Privy Council is inevitable, but this is still a struggle within the military system. To be precise, it should be military nobles and meritorious generals. If anyone else dares to get involved, they will suffer backlash, even the emperor.
Don’t dare to break the long-established unspoken rules rashly.
However, in the Duan Gong Dynasty, there were only a few people who could really succeed Li Jilong. At first, only Guo Yi, Yang Yanzhao and Guo Liangping were listed as candidates for public recommendation.
Among them, Guo Liangping is the most obviously eager to compete. As the First Deputy Privy Councilor, he is the closest to this position. At nearly seventy years old, he does not have much time and cannot wait any longer.
But at the same time, Guo Liangping is also the least likely, and even the first to be excluded. It is not because of his old age, nor his meritorious service, lack of qualifications, nor because of his lack of background. The root cause is the "land and sea battle" of the Han army.
superior.
Guo Liangping was the flagship figure of the Imperial Navy. With the support of Emperor Shizu, he used practical actions to lift the Han Navy to a position it should not have reached. During his second term in the Privy Council and as Deputy Privy Council, the Navy achieved greater success than in the past.
Decades of leap-forward development, including Nanyang garrison reform, gunboat renewal plans, training upgrades, and ocean exploration, were all carried out under his leadership.
During Guo Liangping's tenure, the Imperial Navy's waist was straight and its voice was loud, but at the same time, it also reached the limit that the army veterans could endure. This limit would last until Guo Liangping retires or dies at most.
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When Guo Liangping chose to attack the Privy Council, it was conceivable what kind of resistance and attacks he would encounter. This was not necessarily clear to him, but he still chose to attack, just like he led his army on a long voyage decades ago.
Extending the empire's tentacles to the Persian region.
Guo Liangping worked hard and rushed all his life, and there was no reason to choose to be weak in the end. However, this time, luck was not with him, and he fell in front of the Privy Council as a loser. And he gave up soon after.
He died at the age of sixty-eight.
Guo Liangping was excluded, and it was equally difficult to choose between Guo Yi and Yang Yanzhao. In the eyes of the world, these two people were the most qualified to serve as privy envoys. After all, they were the "Three Honorable Heroes" and the "Three Young Heroes" during the Shizu period.
"Jiujie", his reputation, resume, and achievements are all solid.
However, Guo Yi himself became the Minister of War in Beijing not long ago and was already the prime minister, so it was difficult for him to move lightly. Yang Yanzhao had already retreated to the "second-line" position of Commander-in-Chief. On the other hand, it was also related to Yang Ye's original support.
Liu Wenji, in the second year of Duan Gong's reign, had completely secured his throne. He no longer needed to be as overly cautious as before and could make military and political decisions with an independent attitude.
Of course, he relied heavily on the Yang family and had no restrictions on the promotion of the Yang family's children, but for Yang Ye and Yang Yanzhao, especially when the old master Yang was still alive, he asked him to promote Yang Yanzhao to the prime minister.
Now that he's in the position, he really can't feel at ease.
In that case, there will only be another Li Jilong.
Therefore, the new prime minister of the Han Empire who was newly elected in the midsummer of the second year of Duangong was another unexpected choice. Fufeng Gong, in front of the palace, was Yuhou Ma Huaiyu. Although it was a bit unexpected, there was really no doubt about Ma Huaiyu.
What are the valid objections to the law?
The "buffs" on Li Jilong and Yang Yanzhao include not only the title of Prince Consort, but also Ma Huaiyu. Moreover, they were once the adopted sons of Shizu, and their relationship with Taizong was closer than brothers. However, their resumes and achievements are not as dazzling as those of Li and Yang.
That's all. However, as he serves as prime minister, there really is no one who can challenge him.
When the dust settled, the emperor also made some conciliatory maneuvers. Yang Yanzhao was promoted to the Duke of Guo County, making the Yang family one and two Dukes. Guo Yi was promoted to the first class Wujin Marquis, opening up another line for the Guo family.
Not long after this incident, Zhiyuan Marquis Guo Liangping also died in depression. For the vacant position of First Deputy Privy Envoy, Emperor Liu Wenji, after careful consideration, selected Yuhou Cao Wei, the capital of the Guards Department, who was the late Zhending Marquis Cao Wei.
Bin's fourth son. As for the vacated Guards Chief Yuhou, who actually held the important position of commanding the Guards Ma Bu Army, Liu Wenji finalized Tian Bangyi, the Commander of the Guards Army.
This man is the grandson of the meritorious veteran Tian Chongjin. Although he belongs to the same noble family, his family is not so dazzling. Compared with Yang, Li, and Cao, he is not a bit dim. Of course, this is the main reason why Liu Wenji chose him to control the military.
one of the reasons.
It is unknown how Emperor Taizong felt, but after the Kangzong Rebellion, it was Liu Wenji's turn to take charge. He was inevitably wary of the powerful and solidified military aristocracy in the government and the public, especially in the army.
Liu Wenji knew that the army should not be touched lightly, and the core interests of honorable nobles were not easily violated. Therefore, big moves could be suppressed, but small knives could be cut slowly. First, we should create a differentiation and balance within the military honorary group, and promote people like Tian.
The noble family, which is not powerful and has a relatively limited influence, will later train generals from common people and poor families. Of course, this is destined to be a long and hard work, so there is no need to be impatient.
On the other hand, after making "minor surgery" adjustments to the military and political order system, Liu Wenji issued an edict to re-establish the post of Privy Councilor, as a cabinet scholar, to control the imperial edicts and make use of them. The reason for the reset was that he was not familiar with military affairs. , but military and state affairs cannot be unfamiliar, so this position serves as a bridge between the emperor and the Privy Council to strengthen communication.
After a series of small but significant actions that strengthened the emperor's authority, some people with sinister eyes in the civil service system all realized that the emperor had an unruly heart, and the one who felt the most profound about it was undoubtedly It's the military system, especially the military-rich families.
However, the powerful people in the army did not say anything about this. The imperial military system gave them an almost transcendent status and treatment, and also had a set of restrictions on everyone on the table. What to do in the audience? It's one thing, but whoever dares to create a consensus on rules on the table will face pressure from above and below.
On the other hand, Liu Wenji's series of operations were all within the established rules and did not shake the nobles' dominant position over the army. We cannot expect every emperor to be like Kangzong, and from the Pingkang era to the Duangong era Everyone had to slowly accept the discomfort caused during the process, and it was the courtiers who had to adapt to the emperor. This was determined by the strong imperial power.
In the spring of the third year of Duangong, the king of Xuchang ordered Liu Yao to submit a memorial, and the king of Annan, Liu Wenhuan, passed away in Jiaozhi.
Liu Yao, the youngest son of Emperor Shizu, was born to Concubine Zhou Yifei in the 19th year of Kaibao. He was first granted the title of Han Gong. After Kangzong succeeded to the throne, he was promoted to the title of Prince of Xuchang. The former was demoted after Liu Jichang was dismissed, so he selected clan members to join the political affairs hall as usual.
Emperor Liu Wenji once again invited Zhao Wang Liu Fang to come out, but he still refused. He also invited Yan Wang Liu Zhao, who was in charge of Zongzheng. Not surprisingly, Liu Zhao also chose to decline. Both kings refused. As a last resort, Liu Wenji could only turn his attention to others. .
Apart from the two great princes of Zhao and Yan, the only ones in Beijing among the ancestors were the King of Shu, Liu Huan, and the King of Xuchang, Liu Yao. Finally, after an investigation, Liu Wenji decided to appoint Liu Yao, the King of Xuchang, to enter the Political Affairs Hall and pay homage to the Central Secretary. At the same time, he supervises the Lifan Yuan. In addition to balancing the court situation, it mainly engages in diplomacy, especially the exchanges and relations with the four feudal countries and vassals.
The "Anton Incident" has not yet been fully investigated, but regardless of whether it is true or false, it gave Liu Wenji a warning. As he paid more attention to various vassals this year and obtained a lot of political, military, and economic intelligence, Liu Wenji also realized , the blood-connected empire has frequent exchanges with the feudal states, but it is developing towards a normal "country-to-country" relationship.
As the emperor of the Central Empire, Liu Wenji felt very uncomfortable with this trend. It was an uncomfortable feeling that affairs were out of control. However, in the face of this trend, he had to calm down, analyze carefully, and treat it rationally.
The feudal state is not uncommon in Chinese history, but the feudal state outside the territory is still a new thing, and it also requires a new way to get along with each other. If we ignore the old eyes and old stories, problems will inevitably arise.
The constant situation in the Andong Kingdom is an extremely obvious sign and manifestation. In fact, Liu Wenji also knew in his heart that there must be a set of rules and methods that are more practical and more in line with the development trend of the times in the relationship between the Central Empire and various large and small feudal states. , to normalize it, otherwise, it will only drift away amid more and more contradictions and pulls.
The geographical distance makes it difficult to maintain the friendship between the royal family members for a long time. The word interest may be cold, but for both parties, it allows them to treat the relationship calmly and rationally.
Of course, there is no doubt that the development direction of this relationship will be dominated by the will of the imperial center for a long time. Therefore, Liu Wenji has high hopes for the appointment of Liu Yao, the king of Xuchang, and he also has great real power.
, at the same time, Liu Yao was old enough (five years younger than Liu Wenji) to accompany him to build a further new vassal system.
When Liu Yao reported to Liu Wenji the death of Annan King Liu Wenhuan, it was also an opportunity to practice the "new sectarian and vassal system" that was still in the process of being formed. However, before that, etiquette and human relations must be discussed first.
After returning to Beijing to seize the throne and failing, Liu Wenhuan sadly left Beijing again in the early summer of the first year of Duangong and returned south to his feudal country. On the way, he contracted lung disease and returned to Annan. He was treated for a long time and could not be cured, and finally passed away in the spring of three years.
Liu Wenhuan's life was somewhat tragic. He was of noble birth, extraordinary intellect, and ambitious. Sometimes he was aloof and arrogant, but rarely relaxed. When he was a boy, he was the Chollima that Emperor Shizu loved, and when he was young, he was also the emperor who had high hopes for Emperor Taizong.
The eldest son, it's just that God's will is in the dark, and when he encounters unkind people, his grand plans and ambitions all come to nothing.
Of course, the influence of his opponent Liu Wenji on him was much greater than what appeared on the surface. Although they did not face direct competition for a long time, as soon as they took action, they stepped directly on his shoulders and ascended to the supreme position.
Tragedy is inevitable, but it is difficult for people to sympathize with the dignified King Annan, because no one in the world is qualified to sympathize with him. Although Liu Wenhuan suffered from illness in the last year or so of his life, it was probably the most sober and calm life that Liu Wenhuan lived.
It's been a while.
Before his death, Liu Wenhuan also made arrangements for his funeral, naming his fourth son Liu Jidan as his heir to inherit the throne, and at the same time using Queen Liu E to supervise the country. Liu Wenhuan had four sons in total. Liu Jiyuan and Liu Jichu, who were born to Concubine Chang, were undoubtedly excluded.
among the candidates.
The rest could only choose from the third son Liu Jicheng and the fourth son Liu Jidan. They were both very young, one was fourteen and the other eleven. Liu Jidan was finally chosen because he had no mother and Queen Liu E was very popular with her.
During the period when Liu Wenhuan was recuperating, Liu E was actually helping to deal with many affairs in Annan Kingdom, and handled them well. Her excellent political ability surprised Liu Wenhuan, and also prompted him to make decisions that ultimately related to the fate of Annan Kingdom.
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According to the feudal system, Liu Wenhuan's arrangements had to be submitted to the capital for confirmation, approval by the central court, and envoys before they could be legally binding.
For this matter, Liu Wenji specially summoned all the ministers of the political affairs hall and held a court meeting. On the issue of succession to the throne, they did not have much opinion. The decision of King Annan should always be respected. The only objection was that
Regarding the issue of Queen Liu E supervising the country, the prime ministers of the Han Dynasty, who had experienced and were still experiencing the interference of Queen Mother Murong in politics, were particularly uncomfortable with the situation of "Ji Si Chen".
However, after careful consideration, I can't find any other more suitable way. I can't hand over a "big country" like Annan directly to an 11-year-old child. No matter how unwilling I am, I can only hold my nose and admit it first.
When Liu Jidan grows up, he will work in the district.
Kou Zhun still had great affection for Annan. When he met the emperor alone, he proposed another solution to Liu Wenji, which was to take Annan back and return it to the central government. However, as can be imagined, Liu Wenji categorically opposed it. It was easy to separate a family but difficult to unite.
Even without considering other influences, Liu Wenji had to worry about the powerful influence of Shizu and Taizong's feudal government. This influence came from the strong protection of many vested interests.
The final decision was made according to Annan's instructions, and Yang Yi, a bachelor of Jixian Palace and Minister of Rites, was given the title of comfort envoy to Annan, and went south to Jiaozhi to comfort him on behalf of the court, establish a new king, and grant him a gold certificate.
This is also a move that breaks the rules, because according to the original system, the throne of the feudal king is hereditary, and the new king needs to go to the capital in person to accept the canonization. This approach reflects the strong control of the emperor who formulated such rules, but
After three years in Duangong, it was obviously out of date, so it was reasonable to make some changes that took advantage of the trend.
From then on, the imperial center began to formally change its policy on relations with various feudal states. For the Annan Kingdom, with the succession of the new king Liu Jidan, a period of confusion and chaos began with frequent struggles.
The reign of Queen Mother Liu E is destined to be full of challenges and difficulties. In the harem, there is Princess Zhao who is unwilling to be lonely. In the court, there are the Zhao family and Liu Wenhuan's close and old ministers. At the same time, there are many rebellious barbarians in the country, who are looked down upon and harbored in their hearts.
The resentful brothers Liu Jiyuan and Liu Jili were also bitter about losing the throne. (Liu Wenhuan had a complicated relationship with these two sons, so he arranged them to guard Wenzhou and Wanzhou in the southwest from a distance, out of sight but out of sight.)
Various forces and various contradictions, without Liu Wenhuan's strong support, Liu E's road to regency was visibly difficult, and there was really not much power he could rely on. The only advantage was that the king before him gave orders, and the court after him
The edict was issued, and the new king Liu Jidan was firmly placed under his wing.
PS: After receiving the news of Liu Wenhuan’s death, Liu Wenji burst into tears. After they grew up and matured, the two brothers gradually drifted apart. This was driven by the current situation and the choice of history, but there was a time when the brothers
Friends and brothers, Gong, hugged the ancestor's knees together and laughed happily.
There may be a certain generation gap between them and Kangzong Liu Wenpeng, but there is always a sense of brotherhood between the two. If Liu Wenhuan is alive, then "everyone is well", but when he dies, some emotions cannot be suppressed.
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Emperor Taizong had three sons in total. Now, two out of three have died, and all of them died young. This also brought a lot of psychological pressure to Liu Wenji, and also prompted him to make the decision to establish a prince early.
