Chapter 644: Handover of the Ministry of Etiquette
So much so that Xu Jingzong said something very shameless at the Great Court meeting, "Your Majesty, the Tubo people have been looking up to the Tang Dynasty for a long time. This is what the Tubo people want in their hearts. They look forward to the will of the Zhongtian Khan and the Central Plains."
Use Confucianism and Legalism to educate them."
Wei Zheng came to speak, Xu Jingzong took the lead, and His Majesty nodded in agreement.
It is said that he treated Songtsen Gampo favorably, but out of the interests of the Tang Dynasty, His Majesty felt that treating Songtsen Gampo favorably would be beneficial to the country's overall plan, and he could do more things in the future.
Once the people of Tibet surrendered, and if the territory of the Tang Dynasty could expand to the west of the Tubo Snow Mountains, then Songtsen Gampo would not be so important to Tian Khan. Apart from his current role, his future life and death would not be important.
For Tian Khan, he now has no worries about food and clothing, setting an example for envoys from other small countries, and also for the positive image of the Tang Dynasty.
When Zhang Yang established the Diplomatic Academy, he did a lot of things, but those things were not very good for the reputation of the Tang Dynasty.
Now for Tian Khan, can this kind of positive image of the Tang Dynasty be restored?
After the ministers reported what they had to do this year, envoys from various countries came to see him.
Envoys from various countries came into the palace to congratulate the Tang Dynasty and expressed their congratulations to the Tang Dynasty. The envoys from various countries presented gifts of congratulations, and the Tang Dynasty also gave gifts in return. Among them, the most numerous gifts in return were paper and grain from the Tang Dynasty, and some
Iron and weapons.
The amount given is not large, but these are new things to the envoys from various countries.
Just the iron material cast by Lishan is the best among the best in terms of quality, weight and steel strength.
As for how this kind of iron is cast, the envoys from various countries who do not understand the art of forging iron from Lishan cannot cast it if they do not understand the principles involved.
This also gave Tian Khan enough confidence.
The weapons cast from this kind of iron material are not as good as any other weapons cast from iron, not to mention cutting iron like clay.
The court meeting did not end until the afternoon, and Tian Khan left the court in good spirits.
This year, all countries are in peace. After the Uighurs became honest, they sent many war horses, sheep, and treasures this year.
As for the matter of the Protectorate, envoys from all the countries are present today. Your Majesty does not mention it, and it is difficult for the courtiers to talk about it.
This matter had to be shelved for the time being, but after the court meeting, Li Shimin changed out of his court clothes. As soon as he sat down in the Ganlu Hall, the eunuch eunuch entered the hall with a large box, and inside the box was the memorial.
"Your Majesty, the Central Secretariat has sent reports from officials from various places on last year's winter management and last year's cultivated land reclamation."
Li Shimin nodded and said: "I know everything, please step back."
"Here." Wang Gonggong bowed and left.
After a long day of court meetings, Li Shimin let out a sigh of exhaustion, drank a sip of tea, relaxed, then picked up the memorial and started reading it. He read several volumes in succession. The Ministry of War, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Revenue were all talking about the affairs of the Protectorate.
There are also Zuowuwei, Youwuwei, Leading Army Guard and Qianniu Guard.
Not to mention that the civil servants were concerned about the Duhufu, the generals were even more anxious about the Duhufu.
In the words of Changsun Wuji, the civil servants did not hope that the power of the Protectorate would fall into the hands of military generals. Once the military power of the Protectorate was in the hands of military generals, these generals would definitely use these troops to expand borders and capture other countries.
The military generals also do not want the power of the Protectorate to fall into the hands of civil servants, and the military generals do not want to be hampered by civil servants outside.
It's all for the sake of the country, and the country has been quarreling over the authority of the Protectorate from last winter to the current New Year's meeting.
The emperor was very sad about this.
There are still two people in Lishan who are very melancholy at the moment. Xu Jingzong is going to visit Lishan now, and he still wants to see what Zhang Shangshu means.
A carriage of files was delivered to the entrance of Lishan Village. Zhang Yang looked at this scene with his hands and melancholy. He had thought that there would be a lot of files, but he did not expect that there would be a carriage full.
It seems that I can see how I will stay up late at my desk to deal with official duties in the future, and I can't help but feel sad.
It is said that His Majesty gave generous rewards to several ministers in the Ministry of Rites. Even Li Baiyao, who had resigned, was granted the title of Duke of Anping County.
And Zhang Shangshu is still a county prince, lower than Li Baiyao.
In fact, the Ministry of Rites has made a lot of achievements over the years. At the beginning, it was a small government office with only three people. The current position of the Ministry of Rites was not easy to come by.
It's just that now the Ministry of Rites has become so powerful, and Zhang Shangshu has the most credit. Zhang Shangshu, who held the Ministry of Rites up by hand, is getting further and further away from the court.
Not long after, Li Xiaogong also came.
Xu Jingzong bowed and saluted, "I have met the Prince of Hejian County."
Li Xiaogong nodded and said: "Xu Jingzong, I thought you were not a simple boy back then, but now you are also the minister of the Ministry of Rites, and you have gained quite a reputation in Chang'an City."
"The Prince of Hejian County was joking. The original Xiaguan relied on the help of Zhang Shangshu and the Prince of Hejian County to be what he is today. The kindness here, I will never forget it."
Li Xiaogong used to be the Minister of Rites. Although he is not in the Ministry of Rites now, he used to be the Minister of Rites, and he always regarded himself as the Minister.
I feel grateful that it was really not easy for the three of us to work together.
A dilapidated, small and unwelcome Ministry of Rites, a completely idle place among the six departments.
Hearing this, Li Xiaogong stroked his beard and asked, "How is the Ministry of Etiquette now?"
"Go back to the Prince of Hejian County." Xu Jingzong cupped his hands and said, "I dare not neglect my position during my tenure as the Minister of Rites. There are currently six Ministers of Rites, and there are a total of thirty-five people in the Ministry of Rites. The people who serve in the Diplomatic Academy belong to the Ministry of Rites."
There are a total of 173 external subordinates, and there are more than 300 spies and informants."
After hearing these words, Li Xiaogong looked troubled, "I didn't expect that a small etiquette department could have as many people as the Zhongwei Mansion?"
"That's not true. Now that the Wei Mansion has been restructured into Zhechong Mansion, soldiers and horses have been mobilized. Many local guards' soldiers and horses have been transferred to the Chang'an City Guard Mansion. Now there are more than 300,000 soldiers and horses in Guanzhong alone. With the Wei Mansion,
Still can’t compare.”
Li Xiaogong was silent for a long time. He sighed and sat down immediately, "I haven't been to Chang'an City for a long time and I don't know what Chang'an City is like now."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! A sigh expresses the loneliness and helplessness of middle-aged people.
Zhang Yang patted him on the shoulder and said, "The prince of Hejian County has spent half his life in the army. I was born a few years ago. Otherwise, if I want to gallop around the world, this life is enough."
Li Xiaogong nodded solemnly, "Think about those days when I attacked Bashu and captured Zhu Can, fought against Xiao Mian, trained as a navy master, killed the auxiliary Duke E, and pacified Jiangnan! In those years, people lived happily and grudges."
Speaking of life, Li Xiaogong actually lived a very good life. He spent half his life in the army and now he can spend his old age peacefully. It is best to live a peaceful life.
Zhang Yang smiled and said again: "I will leave the affairs of the court to you. I and the prince of Hejian will sit and watch the clouds rise and fall."
Hearing this, Li Xiaogong glanced at Xu Jingzong again, "I heard the news that your son is appreciated by His Majesty, and he wants you to be the Minister of Rites."
"How dare you, a lower official?" Xu Jingzong saluted quickly, not daring to raise his head and hurriedly explained: "When it comes to being in charge of the affairs of the Ceremony Department, the lower official is not as good as Zhang Xiangxiang, and the lower official is not as good as Zhang Dashu in getting along with his subordinates, not to mention that Mr. Chongyi is erudite and talented.
"The lower officials are inferior to them in everything, so how can they covet the position of Minister of Rites?"
After that, he gave another big gift and said, "The Ministry of Rites cannot do without Zhang Shangshu, and I hope that Zhang Shangshu will continue to preside over the affairs of the Ministry of Rites in the future."
Li Xiaogong kept a straight face and said nothing.
Zhang Yang folded his hands and whispered: "Prince Hejian, we agreed at the beginning to leave the Ministry of Rites together. You have burned down the official residence of the Ministry of Rites. Now you can escape. However, I was caught and released by your majesty.
Ministry of Rites, I will be serving as Minister of Rites for six years."
"In the past six years, you have been as happy as you want, and I have suffered a lot."
"Well, that was indeed the agreement at the beginning. I just thought that you would be lucky to be able to regain the Hexi Corridor. Unexpectedly, you also captured Gaochang. This makes me feel so embarrassed."
After saying that, Li Xiaogong slapped his thigh and said, "I am blind. I should have called you to join me when I set the fire."
Xu Jingzong swallowed his saliva with a loud gulp. He couldn't help but secretly think that the Ministry of Rites was burned down. It would be great to be able to live well now, and he could talk about it.
Zhang Yang looked at Xu Jingzong, "Actually, I and Prince Hejian have made an agreement a long time ago to leave the Ministry of Rites together. It's just that things didn't go well at the beginning. Now I should leave the Ministry of Rites, Xu Jingzong..."
"I'm here!" Xu Jingzong got angry and bent down again.
"I will leave the Ministry of Rites one day. You are the first to work with me and Prince Hejian, and you are also the one who knows the staff of the Ministry of Rites the most, both overt and covert. We are worried about leaving some things to others. When it comes to whom to entrust the Ministry of Rites to, only
You are the most suitable."
Seeing that he was about to interrupt, Zhang Yang signaled him not to speak yet, took two steps back and forth and continued: "Long before His Majesty appointed me as Taifu Qing, he recommended you to be the Minister of Rites. You are the one we trust the most."
"But……"
Seeing his hesitation, Zhang Yang said again: "I know that your talents are mediocre, but everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. If the Ministry of Rites is handed over to Zhang Xiangxiang and Da Su, they are loyal people and sooner or later they will take away all the power of the Ministry of Rites."
Handing everything over to His Majesty cannot protect the rights and interests of the Ministry of Rites."
"The only person we trust is you. Let's put aside the duties of the Protectorate for the time being. The power of diplomacy must be in our own hands. We should be tough when dealing with foreign ministers, and we cannot give in easily."
Xu Jingzong took a deep breath and said loudly: "I will accept your order."
Li Xiaogong nodded solemnly, "Xu Jingzong, please don't betray the trust I and Zhang Yang have placed in you."
"Even if I die, I will defend the Ministry of Rites to the death. I will fight for what the Ministry of Rites deserves. I will take back what the Ministry of Rites deserves."
Li Xiaogong nodded with satisfaction, "Tell them that the Ministry of Rites is not someone to be bullied."
"Your Majesty understands that the Ministry of Rites is not someone to be bullied."
Who would dare to bully the current Ministry of Rites? The current Ministry of Rites plays an important role in the court.
Li Xiaogong left with satisfaction. He was very satisfied with the successor of the Ministry of Rites.
Zhang Yang warned: "If I am not here in the future, everything in the Ministry of Rites will remain as usual."
Xu Jingzong hesitated and said: "If the official has trouble making a decision, can you..."
"Just come to Lishan and ask me."
After sniffing, Xu Jingzong didn't know whether he was sad or happy, so he started sobbing, and he felt as if he had finally cleared away the clouds and seen the sun.
It has indeed been difficult for him these past few years, and he should be given a future.
According to the teacher's previous instructions, leaving the Ministry of Etiquette is inevitable.
"Old Xu, what's the current situation of Taifu Temple?"
Xu Jingzong collected his emotions and replied: "The lower official of Taifu Temple also went to inquire in person. Among the nine temples in the six departments and three provinces of the DPRK, except for Honglu Temple and Dali Temple, the rest are short of manpower. Although the imperial examination has supplemented it,
But most of the officials are in the province, and among the nine temples, Taifu Temple has the smallest manpower, with only one chief registrar and two supervisors, and..."
After a pause, Xu Jingzong looked troubled, "Similar to the three temples of Taifu, Guanglu and Weiwei, Taifu Temple does not have its own official office because its duties involve too few and the court is afraid of too many redundant officials. Your Majesty
It was only that the system of three provinces, six ministries and nine temples was retained, so it was not banned. It only retained the manpower and official positions, but the official residence was never assigned."
"Most of the discussions in the temple are done sitting on the floor, or gathering together to discuss."
Originally, Taifu Temple was in the hands of Fang Xuanling, and part of the functions of Taifu Temple were replaced by the Ministry of Revenue. This also resulted in the current nine temples, except Dali Temple and Taichang Temple, which originally performed their own duties.
There was uneven leisure, the staff of Taifu Temple was withered, there was a lack of books on farming and mulberry farming, and the officials in the court did not have the experience of old farmers.
As a result, the position of Taifu Temple Minister remains vacant to this day.
Xu Jingzong added: "But His Majesty has always been committed to encouraging Nongsang. With Zhang Shangshu's talents, he will definitely be able to show his ambitions in Taifu Temple, so that Taifu Temple can regain its foothold in the court."
It seems that in his understanding, going to the Ministry of Rites will make the Ministry of Rites stand up, and going to Taifu Temple will also make Taifu Temple stand up. Wherever you go, there will be prosperity.
This is treating me as a mascot.
Xu Jingzong is a very thoughtful person, and his words certainly did not mean this. He might not even know what the mascot is.
"You said that Taifu Temple only has one chief registrar and two eunuchs, so there is still one temple eunuch missing?"
Xu Jingzong nodded, "Since Zhang Shangshu is also serving as the Minister of Taifu Temple, is there anyone who can choose him?"
"Well, there is a candidate, but I'm worried that the other party won't be willing."
"As long as Zhang Shangshu likes him, the subordinate will kidnap him even if he is kidnapped. If he doesn't obey, the subordinate will castrate him and give him to the big eater to be our internal agent, using his family as a threat
The spies are gathering information for us."
Zhang Yang shook his head and said: "Old Xu, it's over, it's over, there's no need to be so vicious."
Xu Jingzong nodded again, "Zhang Shangshu is kind-hearted, so I'll chop him up and feed him to the dogs, and he will die happily."
Zhang Yang picked up a scroll of bamboo slips in the carriage and opened it. He saw that the ink marks on it had faded a lot. Then he saw that the inscription was "Wude Three Years". He couldn't help but frown and said, "Go and find Pei Xuanji.
Ask him to come to Lishan and tell him that I have something to arrange with His Highness the King of Wei. Doesn't he want a future? I'll give him a future."
"Here."
When he was about to leave, Xu Jingzong bowed again and said respectfully: "I have resigned."
"Well, be polite when you invite someone here. I'll keep this person useful. If he doesn't obey, don't chop it up and feed it to the dogs."