Chapter 642: Appointed as Minister of Taifu Temple
Li Shimin's eyes were still looking at the scroll, and he whispered: "Zhang Xiangxiang, you are the eldest son of Zou Guogong Zhang Gongjin, and you will inherit the position of Duke of Zou in the future. I can't give you more rewards. You will continue to stay in the Ministry of Rites. I will give you
You have the right to enter the palace to report affairs. If you have any opinions about government affairs in the future, you can enter the palace to see me at any time."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Elephant and Zhang Dashu echoed in unison.
Finally, it was Xu Jingzong's turn. Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, "Xu Jingzong, you were also the eighteenth bachelor of the Qin Palace back then. I have always wanted to arrange it for you, but I didn't want you to go to the Ministry of Rites. After being recommended by Li Xiaogong, I agreed. Over the years, I have felt that the Ministry of Rites
How about, if you want to show off your talents in another place, I can arrange it at Zhongshu Province."
Xu Jingzong lowered his head and swallowed. The conditions offered by His Majesty were very good. If he agreed, he would leave the Ministry of Rites and go to the Zhongshu Province.
The Ministry of Rites has been working hard for the past five years, and I don’t want to give up now.
He bowed and said: "I know that I am not talented enough, but I hope your Majesty will think again."
This time Li Shimin finally raised his head, "I asked Chongyi about the banquet in the imperial court a few days ago. He said that Zhang Yang is not in the Ministry of Rites, and you are arranging everything in the Ministry of Rites. You work hard and don't complain, and I see it.
Here, Zhang Yang holds many positions in the court, and he also has to supervise the construction of Taiye Pond. When the court starts in a year, how about you take over the post of Minister of Rites?"
"I am scared." Xu Jingzong bent down and said.
Li Shimin smiled and said: "When you were in Prince Qin's Mansion, you were not so humble or so fearful."
"All ministers appointed in the imperial court will be subject to your majesty's arrangements. This is a decision reached by the Ministry of Rites after consultation with Zhang Shangshu. Your majesty is also invited to review it." Xu Jingzong handed over the memorial.
The young eunuch took the memorial and placed it in front of His Majesty.
Xu Jingzong added: "The powers of the Protectorate were returned to the DPRK and the Central Government. From now on, the Ministry of Rites will only handle diplomatic matters and will not be involved in the military affairs of the Protectorate."
Li Shimin looked at the memorial and nodded, "What about Liaodong?"
Xu Jingzong added: "Zhang Shangshu recommended Zhang Da'an to the Ministry of Rites as the Minister of Rites, and he also sent the credential to Goguryeo to take charge of Liaodong affairs, and then ordered the King of Goguryeo to come to the Tang Dynasty in person."
"Very good." Li Shimin closed the memorial, "Di Zhisun has also achieved success in the construction of the Hexi Corridor, and has also appointed Minister of Rites. I have allowed Li Baiyao to resign. Since he is old, I have granted him the title of Duke of Anping County.
, you are in charge of the diplomatic affairs of various countries, it doesn’t hurt to have a few more ministers, what do you think?”
Xu Jingzong saluted and said: "Your Majesty is a wise man."
With a sage message, the Ministry of Rites exchanged interests with His Majesty. At this point, the authority of the Protectorate Office left the Ministry of Rites and passed into the hands of His Majesty.
Li Shimin watched the three people leave and slowly put down the memorial in his hand. His expression could not be said to be worried or happy. The current ministers of the Ministry of Rites include Xu Jingzong, Zhang Daxiang, Zhang Dashu, Li Chongyi, Zhang Daan and Di Zhisun.
Among the six parts of the imperial court, none has ever had so many ministers.
It is enough to show that His Majesty attaches great importance to the current Ministry of Rites.
However, the two ministers appointed today, Zhang Daan and Di Zhisun, are not in Chang'an City.
There are also Pei Xingjian, Xue Rengui, and Wang Xuance who are far away in Persia. Not to mention the current situation of the war in Persia, everyone in the government and the public is waiting for news from Persia.
Judging from the contribution of these three people in pacifying the Tianshan Mountains, the reward is quite high.
The Ministry of Rites has more and more people, and it is getting stronger and stronger. It is responsible for diplomatic affairs. Fortunately, it is external rather than internal. Some people even think that the Ministry of Rites in the future may be comparable to the Ministry of Education.
The matter involves the diplomatic relations between the Tang Dynasty and other countries. Everyone knows that the Foreign Affairs Council has made a lot of achievements in the past two years. Just to build the Anxi Protectorate, recover the four towns in Anxi, and pacify the world, many manpower and material resources were provided by the Ministry of Rites themselves.
Unlike the several ministries in the Central Government, whatever the Ministry of War wants to do requires the cooperation of the Ministry of Husbandry and the Ministry of Personnel.
When the decree comes down, it will be arranged by various ministries in the court, and it will take at least three to five days.
The Ministry of Rites can be self-sufficient, which is indeed rare.
Who allowed this Minister of Rites, who had a huge family fortune, to be able to give money to the Ministry of Rites?
Just this winter, Li Baiyao carried his luggage and closed the door of the Ministry of Rites. This year, the Ministry of Officials finally approved his memorial.
Li Baiyao, who was nearly seventy years old, left slowly.
With his hair and beard all white, he walked out of Zhuque Gate in simple clothes and walked from Zhuque Street to the gate of Chang'an City, where his family was already waiting.
He whispered: "Go to Lishan Mountain. I want to see Zhang Shangshu. He must be suspicious of resigning like this."
The family members were speechless. Li Baiyao had been an official all his life from the Sui Dynasty to the present.
His son Li Anqi whispered: "Shilang Xu has agreed to let his son serve in the Ministry of Rites as the host and guest."
The host guest mainly handles matters for the minister of rites, and also receives and communicates with envoys from various countries.
Li Baiyao nodded slightly, got on the carriage and said, "Let's go to Lishan Mountain."
Li Anqi waved his whip and the horse headed towards Lishan Mountain.
Li Baiyao struggled for half his life, and his official position rose and fell. He laughed at his mediocre qualifications but lived a casual life, which was enough.
The carriage arrived outside Lishan Village, and Li Baiyao explained his purpose to the guards here.
Not long after, Zhang Yang came. He smiled and said, "Brother Baiyao, long time no see."
Li Baiyao saluted and said: "Zhang Shangshu, the lower official acted more and more, and submitted a resignation letter to the Ministry of Personnel without telling the Shangshu. I hope the Shangshu will forgive me."
Hearing this, Zhang Yang was silent for a while.
Li Baiyao still bowed.
Li Anqi said quickly: "My father was afraid that Zhang Shangshu would not agree to resign due to his old friendship, so he secretly handed over the resignation memorial to the Ministry of Officials."
Zhang Yang nodded and helped Li Baiyao up with both hands, "Brother Baiyao, are you leaving Chang'an City this time?"
Li Baiyao nodded, "I plan to return home. This is my son Anqi. He will still serve in the Ministry of Rites in the future. This child has no abilities and is very practical. I hope Zhang Shangshu will take care of him."
"Well, I understand." Zhang Yang glanced at the middle-aged Li Anqi.
When they first arrived at the Ministry of Rites, a lot of things happened with Li Baiyao. Zhang Yang invited them to sit down in front of the village, poured drinks and said with a smile: "What happened to us back then is very funny in retrospect."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Li Baiyao took a sip of wine and asked: "I think it's a bit ridiculous."
There is a big age difference between the two, but they can talk very well.
Zhang Yang added: "When you came to the Ministry of Rites, Xu Jingzong and I always thought that you were a spy sent by Gao Shilian. Maybe Xu Jingzong still thinks so now."
Li Baiyao smiled and didn't say much. He just talked about the past and felt nostalgic.
Regarding the original affairs of the Ministry of Rites, we can leave them to Li Chongyi.
The handover between the superior officer and his subordinates was completed. When sending Li Baiyao away, Zhang Yang was not happy no matter how he thought about it.
Li Baiyao was going to Anping County for retirement, and the old man finally left.
In the blink of an eye, another old person left in the court.
The rest are all young people and the backbone.
After a few more peaceful days, the Ministry of Rites handed over the authority of the Protectorate. Now the authority of the Protectorate is in the hands of Your Majesty. It depends on who your Majesty will hand over this authority to.
Some people say that it should be handed over to Duke Zhao, but some people think that Duke Zhao is a relative of His Majesty, and His Majesty has always been careful about his relatives' involvement in politics. How could the military power involved be handed over to Duke Zhao.
The government and the opposition are still discussing endlessly, and all ministries in the government and the central government are making preparations, including the Wei Mansion.
Li Shimin sat back and watched the dispute intensify.
As this year's Great Court Meeting approaches, the royal princesses and princes are going to Lishan to study again.
The little Sizi was in the mother's arms, reluctant to leave, "Mother, my father has also gone to Lishan, and my daughter wants to go too."
Empress Changsun smiled and said: "You are still young, wait a few years."
Xiao Sizi pursed her lips, with a lot of hope in her eyes.
When the emperor arrived at Lishan Mountain, Zhang Yang was still busy at home. Li Shimin walked up the mountain with his children, and the couple stood by the Huaqing Pool to greet him.
"Yueer is pregnant, so there is no need to be polite."
Li Yue still bowed and saluted, "Thank you, father."
Looking around, Li Shimin sat down at the stone table. His aunt brought tea and said, "Your Majesty, please have some tea."
Li Shimin nodded and said: "Zhang Yang, the Anxi Protector's Mansion has been built. I have discussed it with several people from Zhongshu Province. You should be rewarded."
The Ministry of Rites handed over the authority of the Protectorate and handed over the achievements of the Ministry of Rites to the emperor. Only then did Li Shimin award him a reward.
If you don't see the rabbit, don't spread the eagle. If you don't give benefits, you won't make promises.
It can be foreseen that dealing with His Majesty will become increasingly difficult in the future.
Everyone will grow up. Li Shimin has been emperor for ten years and is now at the peak of his career. The emperor is becoming more sophisticated and less talkative.
"I think you are still young. If you add too many inappropriate titles, there will be criticism in the court." Li Shimin took a sip of tea and clicked his tongue: "Since Wen Yanbo is seriously ill and unable to take up the post of servant and archer, in addition to the fact that Wen Yanbo is a minister,
If you are idle for the time being, you will be appointed as Minister of the Secretariat of the State Council. In addition to being the Minister of the Secretariat of the Zhongshu Province, you can then be appointed as the Minister of the Taifu. As the Minister of the Secretariat, you can better manage all affairs of the Taifu Temple."
"Taifu Temple is in charge of money and food expenses, as well as farming and farming. You think you should continue to share my worries. Things like Zhenguan vegetables and salted duck eggs should not be found only in Lishan."
The original position of Tochiro was like a forcibly given official position. Firstly, the position was awkward, and secondly, there were many constraints on what he could do.
Zhang Yang nodded in agreement.
Li Shimin took another sip of tea and said, "The tea you have here is good. It's already winter, and the tea leaves are well preserved, so the taste hasn't changed at all."
Zhang Yang explained: "It's all old tea. It may be better than the tea in the palace. I just put the tea in a wax-sealed jar to isolate it from the air, and then put in something that can absorb water and moisture.
Leave it in a cool place.”
"This is just to keep the color and aroma of the tea as much as possible, but it is still not as good as the new tea. If the palace wants the tea to maintain a good flavor, it is best to put the fried new tea in the ice cellar."
Li Shimin nodded slightly.
The sound of children playing could be heard in my ears. Xiao Wu and Xiao Hui were skipping rope with their younger siblings.
Li Yue looked at her husband and his father, talking in a low voice.
Just after New Year's Eve, my father and husband had a quarrel in front of Grandpa Huang. It is really rare to be calm and able to sit down and talk now.
Li Shimin added: "I have read that Xu Jingzong is a very good person. In the future, you will still be ranked in the Ministry of Education. The position of Minister of Rites should be given to others."
"Your Majesty, are you asking me what I mean?"
"You single-handedly supported the Ministry of Rites, and you also fought for many benefits and rights from the court."
Speaking of that year, Zhang Yang smiled and said: "Your Majesty, did you think I did the right thing at that time?"
"Hehehe..."
Li Shimin laughed dryly and said: "Thinking of the way you challenged Duke Zhao in the Taiji Hall when you first arrived at the Ministry of Rites, I just want to slap you in the face to let you know the dangers of the court."
Zhang Yang calmly drank a sip of tea, sighing in his heart that accompanying you is like accompanying a tiger.
After a few words, Li Shimin didn't want to ask more questions about the Ministry of Rites. He only looked at the results. If things were done well, he would be rewarded. If things were done badly, see how hard the lives of the people in the Ministry of Rites were.
Both the monarch and his ministers had their own suspicions. Zhang Yang sat there and refused to say more about the arrangements of the Ministry of Rites this year as long as your majesty did not ask.
After seeing the emperor off, Zhang Yang sat down again and drank tea.
Li Yue sorted out some clothes brought by her younger brothers and sisters from the palace, "Father's arrangement is also quite good."
Aunt Yang said in a low voice: "Normally, several ministers in the Ministry of Rites have received rewards, and they are in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. The Minister of Rites should give the most rewards, but His Majesty rewards the ministers heavily, and rewards the county princes..."
Zhang Yang put down the tea cup and sighed: "It's almost like nothing, right?"
Aunt Yang nodded and said nothing.
Li Yue sat down and explained: "Since the money shortage in the court, my father asked my husband to be Du Zhilang, which has been quite effective. However, there are many conflicts between Du Zhilang's position and her husband's identity. It is said that among the six ministers,
"Liu, we should not give Shangshu Province any more positions, not to mention that Shangshu Province has been idle for many years. Wen finally came back, but he was seriously ill, but now he is still the only one in Shangshu Province."
Little Bear was finally pulled out of the woodshed by Li Zhi and these naughty boys.
Zhang Yang glanced at it lightly, "So I'm still a bare-bones guy."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Hearing this, Li Yue smiled again: "Sooner or later, my husband will leave the Ministry of Rites. My father has already had this idea, and he also recommended Xu Jingzong. It seems that
That day is not far away, and my husband is going to enter Zhongshu Province, so my father not only gave him the title of Minister of Secretariat, but also retained the title of Minister of Zhongshu."
"The reason for retaining the position of Shangshu Province is that my husband can directly take charge of Taifu Temple, one of the nine temples in the imperial court. Now it seems that it doesn't seem like it was just a matter of being a Duzhilang."
"The size of your husband's official position is actually the same as the Minister of Secretariat. As for the Minister of Secretariat, it is just a false title to be in charge of Taifu Temple. It's like Duke Zheng is both the prince's teacher and the minister, but he doesn't have to serve in the East Palace.
this means."
Naturally, Zhang Yang himself is still a dabbler, and he is not as familiar with the unwritten rules of the court as his wife is.
"However, your husband must not underestimate the position of Taifu Temple Minister. My father still lets your husband take care of money and food expenses. However, Taifu Temple Minister has also had another identity since the Han Dynasty, that is, the great agricultural minister. In addition to being in charge of money and grain,
We also have to deal with tribute matters, including millet control, flood control, farming, taxes on salt, iron, and wine, among them, as well as the new tariffs that my husband encouraged my father to set."
Li Yue picked up a pile of clothes and said: "It is said that the minister of Taifu Temple has been vacant for a long time. In the past, he was always looked after by the prime minister. Now it is in the hands of my husband. We can see what my husband did when he was temporarily appointed as the governor."
I am very satisfied, and now I will allow my husband to officially serve as Tai Fuqing."
As the official becomes bigger and bigger, the real power becomes less and less. Soon the position of the Minister of Rites, the only one with some real power, will be gone.
Zhang Yang is very satisfied, this is beneficial to his pension plan.