Seeing Fang Jun's delay, Liu Ji disapproved and said with a smile: "Fang Erlang is a master of poetry and poetry, and his talent is given by heaven. It is for a world-famous talent like you to choose an era title and recommend it to Your Highness, so that you can show the world's return to the world and literary enlightenment. How can Fang Erlang postpone it? Besides, as the Minister of Rites, you are the master of literary circles in the world, so it is natural for you."
The Ministry of Rites is nominally the head of the six departments, and its actual power may be slightly lower than that of the Ministry of Personnel. However, those who can serve as ministers of the Ministry of Rites are all great scholars and literary masters of the dynasty. Fang Jun only wrote a few poems and sang them all over the world, so he can steal them. Bit?
Liu Jie was dissatisfied in his heart.
Choosing a year name is not just a matter of putting two auspicious words together. There are many things to say, and any oversight would be biased.
Fang Jun didn't know where Liu Ji's inexplicable sourness came from, but at this point, he couldn't shirk it anymore, so he nodded and agreed: "In this case, I will do it as a courtesy."
It's just an era name. At worst, you can go back and ask Kong Yingda for advice. If it doesn't work, just copy one of the era names of the emperors of the Song and Ming dynasties, such as "Hongwu", "Jingyou", etc...
Liu Jie made up his mind that when Fang Jun chose a reign name, he would find fault with him and cause trouble for him.
Throughout the ages, civilization has been like a sea. Good things and bad things have changed, and good people and bad people have emerged in endlessly. If you want to use a certain word to give it a bad name, isn't it easy to catch it?
Of course, this kind of thing cannot damage Fang Jun's status and prestige, it is just disgusting...
At this time, the chamberlain came in to report that Cui Dunli had an audience outside the palace gate and had an important military report.
Li Chengqian quickly summoned him.
Not long after, Cui Dunli, dressed in official robes, quickly entered the palace and bowed his head to the ground: "I have met His Highness the Crown Prince, Young Master Cen, Duke Yue, and Liu Shizhong."
Li Chengqian saw that the hem of his robe had been soaked by the rain, and said hurriedly: "No need to be polite, someone will bring me a piece of clothing that I have never worn before and give it to Cui Shilang to change into."
The crown prince gifted him with clothes, which was regarded as a great honor and favor, which showed that Li Chengqian deeply admired Cui Dunli.
Cui Dunli was very grateful, thanked him quickly, and went to change clothes with his chamberlain.
Liu Ji sat there with drooped eyelids and drank tea slowly, feeling a little sick in his heart. There was something wrong with the order of calling Cui Dunli just now. If he were to be called by title, the Duke of Yue, Fangjun, should be first, followed by Cen Wen, the son of Jiangling County, and thirdly himself; if he is called by official position, Cen Wenwen is first, himself is second, and Fang Jun is last... As a result, Cui Dunli puts Cen Wenwen first. This is respect. After all, he is Fang Jun's party member. This is no problem. But putting yourself last is bound to be contempt for yourself.
Among the dignified servants of the country, he was already one of the top leaders of the empire, but he was despised by a mere minister of the Ministry of War. This shows that Fang Jun's party has deep prejudices against themselves.
In times of trouble, military generals treated civil servants like pigs and dogs, killing them and trampling them on them at will. Although these are not troubled times, the government is in turmoil and the country is in turmoil. The status of military generals has been instantly elevated, and they act arrogantly and wantonly, which is really abominable.
When Cui Dunli changed his clothes and came out, Li Chengqian ordered him to take a seat and then reported: "I just received the urgent battle report of the Anxi Army for 800 miles. Pei Xingjian has selected 10,000 elite troops to set off from Luntai City. Now they have arrived in Hexi and the garrison is ready." , while deciding whether to enter the Pass to support based on the development of the situation in Guanzhong, and at the same time frightening Tubo. Zanpo led his cavalry from Dadou Bago southward to return to his hometown of Tuyuhun. It seems that there are some new suppression actions against the Gar family in Luoshu City. , Ludongzan has left Lusuo, and a war between the two sides is very likely to break out."
Li Jing perked up and said with emotion: "Since there are reinforcements and there are no external dangers, this is where His Highness's destiny has come!"
Cui Dunli nodded and said: "That's right. Ever since the King of Jin rebelled, the Ministry of War has been closely monitoring the movements of Tibet. Judging from the news so far, Songtsen Gampo wants to take advantage of the chaos in Guanzhong to directly send troops to occupy the counties in Hexi.
, on the one hand, it can cut off the passage between the Tang Dynasty and the Western Regions, so that when it sends troops to the Western Regions, it can face an isolated and helpless Anxi army, greatly increasing its chance of winning. On the other hand, it can also take advantage of the situation to take control of the old land of Tuyuhun, making the Gar
The family foundation has been lost, and they have to rely on Luoche again... However, with the Anxi army stationed in Hexi, Tibet has still stayed put until now, and has probably given up these extravagant hopes."
The Ministry of War is now powerful and well-funded. Since Fang Jun took office, it has been deployed in neighboring countries and purchased a large number of detailed maps. It not only draws detailed maps of the mountains, rivers and hydrology of various countries, but also keeps abreast of the political and military developments of each country, especially for the next ten or even decades.
The most powerful enemy, Tibet, made even greater efforts.
However, this information was firmly in the hands of Cui Dunli, and even Zhang Xingcheng, who was the Minister of the Ministry of War, was completely unaware of it.
Li Chengqian's expression remained unchanged, but he breathed a deep sigh of relief in his heart, and praised: "The Ministry of War has a critical power, which is at stake for the country, the country, and the country. Fortunately, Aiqing, who is such a talented person, can preside over the ministry, so that the whole empire can sit back and relax, and Aiqing's hard work is of great merit."
Cui Dunli was overjoyed and stood up again, with a look of gratitude on his face: "How dare you praise your highness for something that is within your humble position? The Duke of Yue often teaches us that when the country is in crisis, we can only live up to your highness by devoting ourselves to the task and doing everything we can."
Your trust is great!”
He knew that since the prince said these words, it meant that his achievements in the Ministry of War were affirmed, and it was a foregone conclusion that he would be promoted to another level in the future.
The closest reward based on merit is naturally the day when the crown prince ascends the throne. At that time, the meritorious officials will be rewarded and the three armies will be rewarded. The position of Minister of the Ministry of War that he has always dreamed of will probably come true.
To be promoted from the Minister of the Ministry of War to the Minister of the Ministry of War is not only about the promotion of rank and authority, but also a leap in status. It is a leap from an assistant official to a minister of the imperial court...
Li Chengqian said happily: "Zhi punishes Zang or not, both internally and externally. Gu dare not claim to be wise, but he will never treat meritorious ministers lightly. I hope that I will continue to work hard to assist Gu to eliminate rebellion and conquer the world. I will not hesitate to reward you!"
"
Cen Wenwen and Liu Jie looked at each other in silence.
*****
After coming out of Taiji Palace, Cen Wenwen got on the carriage and asked the driver to stop for a while. When he saw Liu Jie coming out of the palace gate, he asked the servant to invite him to the house for discussion. Then the two carriages passed through the long distance one after another.
Street, go out from Yanxi Gate and go to Cen Wenwen's mansion.
The rain was pouring, and the bluestone slabs on the long street were broken and bumpy, as if they were silently recording the cruel and bloody killing...
Back at the mansion, Cen Wenwen simply washed his face and ordered Liu Jie to be called to the study. When the servant served him some fragrant tea, he waved his hand and dismissed him. There were only Cen and Liu in the study, sitting on the tea table in front of the window.
Sitting in front of each other.
The open windows let in clear air, and the rain gurgled. The flowers and trees in the courtyard outside the window were all new and lush. There was a pot of chrysanthemums placed on the tea table against the window sill. The rare orange flowers were in full bloom, gorgeous and bright.
It's like a sunset, as beautiful as a sunset.
Liu Ji held the pot and poured tea, pushed the tea cup in front of Cen Wenwen, and couldn't help but said: "What I saw today is that Fang Jun's influence on the prince is simply appalling. When the prince ascends the throne, Fang Jun will not be able to dominate the government? We should have
Countermeasures should be taken to avoid being controlled by others."
It is against the rules at any time for a minister to ignore the minister. This kind of thing can happen and can even be tacitly tolerated. However, the prince openly praised Cui Dunli openly, which shows that he has no regard for the rules of officialdom for his favor and trust in Fang Jun.
.
When the prince ascends the throne, who else in the government and the public will be able to check and balance Fang Jun?
Cen Wenwen picked up the tea cup and took a sip, smacked his lips, tasted the sweetness, then sighed and said: "Xiao Shiwen is confused, why are you confused too?"
Liu Jie didn't know why, so he hurriedly said: "Please sir, please give me some advice."
Cen Wenwen rubbed his brows. He had been on the sickbed for the past few years, but he finally recovered a little this year. His Majesty passed away again. The funeral ceremony for many days almost took away half of his life. He was very exhausted.
After a pause, he said: "Your Majesty is kind and cowardly. The world is at peace and the treasury is abundant. The status of military commanders will inevitably decline. It is the perfect time to implement civilian politics. When I am old, I just want to live in seclusion in the woods and entertain my grandchildren.
But you are meeting at the right time, and you should assist His Highness to achieve great achievements and elevate the status of civil servants to unprecedented heights. Why are you so dissatisfied with His Highness in your words? Are you going to follow Xiao Yu's example and start an army to rebel?"
Since the end of the Han Dynasty, the world has been in chaos and wars have been frequent. There has never been a hundred years of peace. Therefore, the people of the country are martial and pay attention to a "general and prime minister". Most of the officials above the court can wield their swords to kill the enemy when they get on their horses, and raise their swords when they get off their horses.
Pen Anmin.
Civilization and military affairs go hand in hand, and it is difficult to distinguish them.
But Wen and Wu are clearly distinct, so how could they be confused?
When a military general is in charge of the country, the country is very martial and often conquers unconquered subjects and expands its territory. No national law or order can be compared with a military order. The whole country is in turmoil, the people are in dire straits, and the country is in danger of being destroyed if not careful.
Once a monarch is wise and powerful, it means he is ambitious and unsatisfied with the status quo. He always wants to make great achievements that will be remembered in the past and the present. These require the full strength of the country to complete, and they are almost incompatible with the hidden dangers of being a military general.
respectively.
What these two have in common is that they regard rules as if they are nothing, are stubborn and arrogant, and are arbitrary. The life and death of ministers are between joy and anger. Killing people, confiscating homes, exterminating families, and barbarian tribes all depend on one's own arbitrary decisions.
No scruples, no constraints.
Who can bear this?
As a minister, he is already considered the best among hundreds of millions of people, but he has finally climbed to the position below one person and above ten thousand people. However, his life and death depend on the king's thoughts. Everyone has to be trembling with fear and fear. How can he be willing to do so?
The supremacy of imperial power is never a good thing. Not only is the safety of people's lives in the world not guaranteed, but also the continuity of the country is threatened. Emperors change from generation to generation, and there will always be ignorant and incompetent masters. If he is like Emperor Yang of Sui, he loves great achievements and acts in the opposite direction.
, everyone could only watch helplessly as he defeated the empire and reached the end of the road.
The most ideal state is to limit imperial power within a certain range and use a set of laws and rules to govern the world.
Limiting imperial power has been the supreme ideal pursued tirelessly by civil servants since ancient times...