Chapter 998: There is a lot of scheming in the political hall
There was chaos in the court for a while, but finally things got back on track.
The New Year is approaching, and this is the last court meeting of the year. The long vacation will begin in half a month and will not go to work until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. Many things must be arranged in advance to avoid temporary situations that delay the officials' "vacation"...
…
By the time everything was finished, the sun was already at its peak and it was noon.
After the dynasty dismissed, the vast majority of officials returned to their respective government offices to implement the policies adopted at the dynasty. They told their officials to keep their eyes open and stand up for the last shift before the end of the year to ensure safe production and maintain social stability...
Several prime ministers came to the political hall to continue discussing state affairs.
Under normal circumstances, all major events will be reported to your Majesty by the prime minister at the court meeting, and then the route will be determined through brainstorming. The subsequent specific implementation is within the scope of the prime minister's powers and responsibilities. In short, the emperor determines the direction of the matter, and the prime minister is responsible for the specific implementation.
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The atmosphere in the Political Hall is obviously much more relaxed than in the Tai Chi Hall. On the table are several plates of exquisite snacks given by the palace, a pot of hot tea, the incense burner in the corner lit up the fine sandalwood, and the earth dragon warmed the room.
It's so warm that it feels like sitting here is just catching up with friends and family, not every decision that may affect the direction of the huge empire. It's very leisurely.
The first thing the prime ministers and assistants did after coming to the political hall was to release water...
There is no way, no one knows how long the court meeting will last, so all the officials who go to court will try their best not to drink water or eat beforehand, so as not to feel anxious during the court meeting, and they will be the ones who suffer when the time comes.
After happily draining the water, the ministers and assistants cleaned their hands, sat down at the table, ate a few snacks, and drank hot tea, feeling comfortable and comfortable.
Fang Xuanling moved his shoulders and sighed: "I'm really old. In the past, when big things happened, I would stay up for several days without feeling sleepy. Now I just go through a big court meeting and I'm about to fall apart. I'm getting more and more exhausted."
"
He is a person with basically no political ambitions. Being able to sit in this position is almost a matter of course and he has never deliberately sought it. Fortunately, he has a kind-hearted nature and is upright in everything he does. He pursues his duties in his position and has never slacked off.
It's just that now that the family has a rich fortune and there are successors, it is inevitable that the thought of retreating is in the heart, and I can enjoy a few years of happiness in peace and contentment, write books and talk about the things that I have no time to do in my life. Only if I do it once, will my life be worthwhile.
Ma Zhou, as Zhongshushe's political advisor, also had a place in the political affairs hall, but he "can only see, not speak"...
When Ma Zhou heard this, he smiled and said: "Although the Prime Minister is getting older, he is very capable in handling affairs. I have benefited a lot from being a low-ranking official."
"Can't speak" just means that you can't speak when the prime minister is discussing. It doesn't mean that you have to sew your mouth shut when you enter the political hall.
Fang Xuanling smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Why should Prince Bin be so modest? When I was your age, I had just left home in Qingzhou Prefecture and came to Guanzhong to join the King of Qin. All I did was lead horses and pedal, check for deficiencies and make up for them. Bin.
Your Majesty, you have a high starting point, you started early, and you are able to learn from others with an open mind and work diligently. The most rare thing is that you can always uphold the public spirit. As time goes by, your achievements will definitely not be inferior to those of us. You are the future of the empire."
The compliment in these words was very simple, and it was almost impossible to express it due to Yifang Xuanling's character. This shows how much he thinks highly of Ma Zhou.
Ma Zhou was grateful.
What are the reasons for officials to be promoted?
Sometimes it's talent, sometimes it's background, but when the two are not comparable, it's often seniority that plays the key role.
What is qualifications?
The emperor's trust, the superior's favor, and the boss's praise can all be called qualifications.
Fang Xuanling's official reputation was so good that there were almost no flaws. His sentence "You are the future of the empire" could make Ma Zhou's momentum increase by three points out of thin air. No one in the future can question Ma Zhou's ability.
Because Fang Xuanling had already made a conclusion.
Are you saying that Fang Xuanling is talking nonsense?
hehe……
Even Changsun Wuji didn't dare to say such a thing.
Who can't see Fang Xuanling's achievements? He has been the emperor's minister for decades and the imperial minister for more than ten years. He has outstanding abilities and high prestige.
, ability and prestige have long been recognized by the world. A word of praise from such a person had a great impact on Ma Zhou.
Changsun Wuji, who was on the side, had always had a gloomy face. At this moment, he glanced at Ma Zhou lightly and said: "It is better to save these hypocritical and frivolous polite words for after the next shift. Everyone's time is precious, it is important to deal with business quickly."
Fang Xuanling remained silent and ignored him.
Ma Zhou shut his mouth. He didn't have the qualifications to ignore it...
Cen Wenwen put down his tea cup and said: "The first thing is the turmoil in the situation in the Western Regions. Guo Xiaoke completely overturned the previous decision of the political hall, restarted the brewing workshop, and completely abolished the woolen workshop. This move made the Hu people in the Western Regions complain and led to many tribes
The interests were damaged, and the prestige of the Tang Dynasty was seriously damaged. At this time, whether a new governor of Xizhou should be elected, the Anxi Governor went to take over Guo Xiaoke, and ordered Guo Xiaoke to return to Beijing immediately to report on his duties, and then decided that he would violate the resolution of the political hall, causing the Western Regions to
Are you responsible for the turbulent public opinion and chaotic situation?"
Nowadays, the Western Regions are undercurrent under Guo Xiaoke's perverse actions. There is a vague disobedience among the various tribes in the Western Regions. It is only because they are afraid of the powerful fighting power of the Tang army that they have to temporarily restrain themselves.
And what Guo Xiaoke did was just to drive the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty to suppress the various ethnic groups in the Western Regions. He believed in the concept of "one force can subdue ten guilds" and believed that as long as the Tang Dynasty could maintain sufficient military superiority in the Western Regions, it would be able to suppress all ethnic groups in the Western Regions.
Don't dare to act rashly.
But they have completely forgotten that the reason why they want to implement grape wine and "sheep cannibalize people" strategies in the Western Regions is precisely to liberate the redundant military power and reduce the burden on the central government, so as to concentrate on preparing for the future battle of Goguryeo...
Changsun Wuji retorted: "Jing Ren's words are wrong. Guo Xiaoke took the grape wine into his hands and abolished the wool workshop as a last resort. At that time, there were fires in both workshops, and the Fang family failed to do it again.
After arranging the aftermath, Guo Xiaoke, as the Protector of Anxi, naturally had to take responsibility and could not allow this matter to cause turmoil in the Western Region. As for the unsatisfactory results, it can only be attributed to Guo Xiaoke being a pure military commander and not good at economics.
Yes, but not guilty."
Fang Xuanling lowered her face and glanced at Changsun Wuji lightly.
How shameless!
Seeing my family's brewery jealous, they took advantage of it, and if they couldn't win it, they just set up their own business and kicked the Fang family out. It turned out that all these actions were done out of necessity?
Cen Wenwen smiled and did not argue with Changsun Wuji, but said: "In that case, I will draw up a memorial on this matter and ask your Majesty to put it to an end. What do you two think?"
Fang Xuanling nodded: "That's very good."
Changsun Wuji kept silent, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, and his heart was filled with resentment.
What a fart!
Nowadays, there are only three prime ministers and assistants in Zhengshitang, and the rule of Zhengshitang has always been that the minority obeys the majority when there is a stalemate. Cen Wenwen proposed, Fang Xuanling seconded, even if they have two votes out of three, this is It’s settled, what’s the use of his eldest son Wuji’s opinion? It’s so damn depressing!
Wei Zheng, that old guy, is holding his own position. Fang Xuanling and Cen Wenwen are not on the same line but they always have a tacit understanding. As a result, Changsun Wuji is now a loner in the political hall...
No, we have to find a way to persuade His Majesty to increase the number of ministers and assistants in the political hall.
He glanced at Ma Zhou, who was in charge of record-keeping, and his heart brightened. It might be difficult to increase the number of ministers, but adding the title of "Involved in Political Affairs" to some ministers would make them eligible to enter the political hall to discuss matters. It's not difficult...
After discussing the affairs of the Western Regions, Cen Wenwen continued: "The Prime Minister of Tubo, Ludongzan, came to Beijing with a letter from Songtsen Gampo. He wanted to negotiate with the Tang Dynasty to send troops to destroy Tuyuhun. The Minister of War, the British Duke, was responsible for the reception. He wrote a letter asking how to respond. , let’s discuss it.”
This matter has nothing to do with the individual interests of the people here, and there is nothing to discuss.
Changsun Wuji said directly: "He wants to get beauty! Tuyuhun was originally in my Tang Dynasty's pocket, but because the strategic focus of the entire empire is now tilted to the northeast, there is no spare power to solve Tuyuhun. Tubo wants to divide Tuyuhun Territory is tantamount to snatching food from a tiger's mouth, absolutely not allowed."
Fang Xuanling also nodded and said: "This is not negotiable. Not only cannot we form an alliance with Tubo, but we must also express support for Tuyuhun. We cannot allow every inch of Tuyuhun's land to be annexed by Tubo. The Tang Dynasty is a tiger, Tuyuhun is a sheep, and Tubo is a Wolf, if the mutton enters the wolf's mouth, even the tiger can't snatch it out!"
On this point, the three prime ministers and ministers had a rare consensus of opinion and quickly formulated their opinions.
Next, Cen Wenwen looked at Fang Xuanling and said with a smile: "The following matter is related to the housing minister. The addition of Jingzhao Mansion has been approved by the court. So where will the Yamen of Jingzhao Mansion be located? Is it a new residence? , or simplifying the complex and adapting to local conditions? How should the officials at all levels of Jingzhao Mansion be dispatched?"
This is what matters at stake!
Fang Xuanling glanced at Cen Wenwen, and secretly sighed: They are not fuel-efficient lamps...