The person who came out to impeach Niu Xianke was named Zhou Ziliang, who was born in Chang'an. When Zhang Jiuling was appointed prime minister, he was recommended by the other party, and Li Longji gave him an official position to supervise the censor.
Zhou Ziliang's position was not high, but his authority was not low. Even the prime minister could be impeached! The Yushitai officials in the Tang Dynasty were themselves tools used by the imperial power to restrict the power of the prime minister in the system design.
Of course, tools can only be tools and cannot have their own independent ideas. They must be consistent with the thinking of the "master".
Obviously, Zhou Ziliang did not realize clearly that Li Longji was his master and Zhang Jiuling was not.
At this juncture, Zhou Ziliang's inaction in impeaching his "immediate boss" Li Shizhi was actually a disguised secret scolding. The officials who recommended Niu Xianke and even Li Longji himself were acting blindly.
It can be said that this big move is to gamble with one's own political life in order to win the favor of the emperor.
Otherwise, if even his immediate boss Li Shizhi was offended, wouldn't he be punished afterwards?
That's obviously impossible.
In other words, Zhou Ziliang has already taken the risk this time!
This is the officialdom of Chang'an. There are countless fame and fortunes here, and there is supreme power for you to absorb.
But it also comes with endless risks.
Li Shizhi, who was the target of impeachment, had a look of shock on his face. He had no idea what was wrong with Zhou Ziliang. Normally, he didn't seem to have offended him.
As for Niu Xianke, who was at the center of the incident, his face turned blue and red, his head lowered and he didn't speak, and he didn't know what to say.
This kind of impeachment does not mean that you have bad character and committed crimes, nor does it mean that you have insufficient merit and qualifications.
It’s just that the ability is not enough!
It's so subjective, harsh, and doesn't offer any evidence.
Niu Xianke, who had no support from his cronies and had never participated in the imperial examination, and had just worked his way up to the central government, was speechless.
No matter how much you say, it will be in vain. If others accuse you of secretly eating three bowls of jelly, do you have to cut open your stomach and show it to those people to prove yourself?
"Let's all disperse. This matter will be discussed at the Zichen Hall tomorrow."
Li Longji flicked his sleeves, turned around and left without having an attack.
The other courtiers looked at each other in the banquet hall, and finally left without saying a word. Even Niu Xianke left sadly. Only Zhou Ziliang and Zhang Jiuling were left.
"You, you, oh!"
Zhang Jiuling sighed and walked out of the banquet hall in disappointment.
He really didn't want to see Niu Xianke come to power, and felt that Niu Xianke was definitely not qualified for the post of Six Ministers, let alone prime minister.
But why bring it up at this juncture?
It is true that Zhou Ziliang was supported by Zhang Jiuling, but he did not arrange for this person to apply eye drops to Li Longji!
…
Returning to the study room in the main building of Qin Zheng Wu, Li Longji was still angry!
Why did Zhou Ziliang dare to come out to impeach Niu Xianke? Needless to say, it was of course Zhang Jiuling's instigation.
Otherwise, how could a supervisory censor dare to bite his nose and face like this?
Of course, there is a tradition for censors to slap the emperor in the face. Wei Zheng in the Zhenguan era is a typical example. You can slap the emperor in the face in public, and you can also slap the emperor in private. Many people will follow this as an example.
Slapping the emperor in the face is a symbol of not being afraid of power and has always been praised by "public opinion". Zhou Ziliang's actions may seem outrageous, but in fact they have their own internal logic and are not a random move.
"Lishi, do you think Niu Xianke can hold the official position of Minister of the Ministry of Industry?"
After calming down, Li Longji couldn't help but ask.
Whether it is Zhang Jiuling's previous contradictory words or Zhou Ziliang's bold advice, the core issue is whether Niu Xianke can serve in the central government!
"Niu Xianke is just a small official, how can he be the minister of the court?"
Gao Lishi couldn't help but sigh.
Um?
Li Longji was stunned. He never expected that Gao Lishi would say such a sentence.
"Why do you have the same idea as Mr. Zhang?"
Li Longji asked curiously.
There is no problem with Gao Lishi's loyalty. What Li Longji wants to know is what he is thinking in his heart.
"Niu Xianke is not qualified to be the husband, because he has no cronies and aid in the government, and the new policies he formulates will certainly not be able to be responded to by everyone.
But why does the imperial court need two prime ministers with clear opinions? How long will they fight like that all day long?
One master and one auxiliary complement each other, isn’t it beautiful?”
Gao Lishi talked about his thoughts.
Li Longji couldn't help but nod. After Zhang Jiuling was dismissed as prime minister, he really needed a weak secondary prime minister to help Li Linfu implement the administrative order. In this way, the court could run smoothly and there would be no vicious fight between the left and the right.
If there are always vicious fights, and Li Longji still needs to mediate in the end, then all of Li Longji's energy will be involved in these ghost things, and how can he let go and have fun?
Li Longji believes:
The emperor is rich all over the world, so he must use the world's manpower and material resources to satisfy the emperor's personal enjoyment.
Rather than being an emperor of one person, working tirelessly to carry the well-being of the people of the world.
After struggling all his life, shouldn’t he be allowed to enjoy himself? He is over fifty years old, how many more years can he have to live a good life?
Gao Lishi really knows his own thoughts.
Li Longji couldn't help but think.
"Yes, as long as there is one prime minister who speaks the truth in the court, what's the point of having so many people fighting?"
Li Longji sighed with emotion.
Zhang Jiuling cannot be kept, so why not take this opportunity to expel him from the court.
At this moment, a eunuch came into the study and announced that Li Linfu, the left prime minister, asked to see him.
"I knew Ge Nu would definitely come."
Hearing the news, Li Longji laughed loudly.
It is no secret that Li Linfu wants to get rid of Zhang Jiuling, but he has been waiting for the chance to make a final decision. Now, with the help of Zhou Ziliang, a "reckless man", Li Linfu is going to strike the final blow against Zhang Jiuling.
Although the left prime minister of the Tang Dynasty could achieve his goal even if he did nothing, Zhang Jiuling would definitely be kicked out of the court if nothing unexpected happened.
However, since you can directly kill your political opponents, why should you pin your hopes on Li Longji? Being passively beaten is not Li Linfu's style.
Li Longji knew this very well. Zhang Jiuling was very straight, so he had to use it; Li Linfu was very cunning, so he had to use it; Niu Xianke was very weak, but he still had to use it.
These people are all tools of Li Longji.
Since it is a tool, there is only the difference between taking advantage of it and stabbing it, and there is no distinction between good and evil.
With some chores in mind, Li Longji had someone prepare a pot of "spring drink" and wait for Li Linfu to come in.
After a while, Li Linfu walked in wearing a purple official robe. He didn't change out of his clothes at all, he was still wearing the same outfit as at the banquet.
"Ge Nu waited outside the palace for a while and then turned back."
Li Longji couldn't help but joked.
"Hui Sage, it is indeed the case. I thought of something that was not appropriate, so I came back to retaliate to the Sage."
Li Linfu said very cautiously.
"Isn't it just to criticize Mr. Zhang?"
Li Longji joked nonchalantly. It's an old routine for courtiers to say bad things about each other behind their backs.
Zhang Jiuling also spoke ill of Niu Xianke in front of him.
"That's not the case. When Zhou Ziliang impeached Li Shizhi at the banquet, he was actually targeting Niu Xianke. But if he dared to say this, it was not because of Zhang Xianggong's instigation, but because there was secret information behind it. Tomorrow the saint can ask in person, and it must be
real."
Li Linfu said with a serious face.
You actually stopped saying bad things about Zhang Jiuling?
Li Longji also became serious and put away the smile on his face.
"There is a prophecy book that says: A calf with two horns will go mad, and a dragon and a snake will fight each other and the blood will flow into the river. The calf with two horns is an ox! The dragon and snake will fight each other, which will lead to chaos! The sage will ask Zhou Ziliang tomorrow, and he will definitely take out this book
.”
Li Linfu took out a booklet from his sleeve, which was a prophecy written by an "anonymous person", and handed it to Li Longji.
This "forbidden book" has been circulating in Chang'an for a long time, and its scope is very wide. With the popularity of woodblock printing, there is no technical difficulty in privately printing books. This kind of "prophetic book" is illegally printed banned books, private collection, and dissemination.
, borrowing or borrowing is illegal!
The so-called prophecies are the kind of nonsense pamphlets that say some incomprehensible words and imply some things. In politics, they are often used to ferment public opinion.
Due to the difficulty of refuting rumors in the feudal era and the low level of education per capita, many people believe similar things, and some even spread them to miraculous proportions.
The most famous one is "Tui Bei Tu".
Of course, the quality of this booklet is much lower than that of "Tui Bei Tu".
On the surface, these are just nonsense, but they are actually stepping on Li Longji's negative side.
"Okay! Okay! I will ask Zhou Ziliang personally tomorrow!"
Li Longji's anger grew again.
Having achieved his goal, Li Linfu bowed and stepped back without any hesitation.
With just one strike, Zhang Jiuling and Zhou Ziliang could be sent away together.
Li Linfu is waiting for the storm tomorrow.
…
There was a court meeting in the spring of the 25th year of Kaiyuan.
Li Longji told the censor Zhou Ziliang face to face that Niu Xianke had worked hard in Hexi and his merits were enough to be worshiped as the prime minister. If there were no other reasons, Niu Xianke would definitely be appointed as Minister of Industry by the imperial court.
Zhou Ziliang didn't know what the plan was, so he directly quoted from the prophecy book that "the two-horned calf will go crazy, and the dragon and the snake will fight with each other and the river will be bloody." He defended Li Longji and said: "I would rather believe what he has than what he doesn't."
In principle, Niu Xianke should not be placed in the central government as a minister of the six departments, but should be placed as an official in a local area.
Li Longji was furious and ordered Zhou Ziliang to be executed on the Zichen Hall of the Daming Palace! And because Zhou Ziliang was recommended by Zhang Jiuling, according to the relevant rules of the court, the prime minister must bear joint and several liability if a major incident occurs, and Zhang Jiuling cannot escape.
suspicion of instigation.
So because of Zhou Ziliang's incident, Li Longji also dismissed Zhang Jiuling from the post of prime minister and demoted him to the position of governor of Jingzhou.
The post of Zhongshu Ling was temporarily held concurrently by Li Linfu. At the same time, Niu Xianke was appointed as Minister of the Ministry of Industry and took office immediately.
As for who should take over the position of Minister of Household Affairs that Zheng Shuqing was concerned about, no one mentioned it.
That day, Li Linfu had just gone to court and returned from Daming Palace to his home in Pingkangfang. He saw Uncle Zheng waiting outside the door early in the morning with a very humble attitude.
Li Linfu liked to deal with such obedient losers, so he quickly called Zheng Shuqing into the house for a detailed discussion.
After the two sat down in the study, Zheng Shuqing took out a list from his sleeves, handed it to the other party and said: "The Minister of Household Affairs manages finances only for military supplies on the Hexi front line. His subordinates don't know much about the situation in Hexi, and there are some account books and the like.
The object needs to be inspected before we can find a way to deal with it. Please ask Li Xiangcheng for help."
Upon hearing this, Li Linfu took the piece of paper handed over by Zheng Shuqing and read it again and again.
This list covers the household registration distribution, garrison distribution, transportation artery distribution, water conservancy facilities distribution, local specialty products distribution, etc. in the four prefectures of Hexi (Liangzhou, Suzhou, Ganzhou, Guazhou).
Of course, it's just a request.
"You went to Kuizhou and made great progress. I originally felt uneasy about handing over the position of Minister of Household Affairs to you, but now it seems that you are qualified for the job, but..."
Li Linfu smiled slightly and fell into deep thought again.
"Does Mr. Li think there is anything wrong?"
Zheng Shuqing asked doubtfully.
"There is indeed something wrong, but it's not that what you did was wrong."
Li Linfu sighed and continued:
"The imperial court records are strictly managed, so it wouldn't do any harm if I sent someone to come back with a few copies for you to review.
But you need too many things, not to mention whether you can finish them all. Even if you can finish them, you won't be able to get so many documents about things in Hexi.
Your idea is good, but the truth cannot satisfy your request. Of course, if you are already working in the Sixth Department, there is no problem in going to the place where the documents are stored to check them."
One thing that Fang Chongyong did not expect was that the central government of the Tang Dynasty actually divided power and responsibilities very finely. Although Li Linfu had great power, no matter how big he was, he could not be bigger than Li Longji.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! According to the unspoken rules, it is okay for Li Linfu to use his authority to take a few copies from the place where the files are stored and take them home to read. The Right Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty did not do this
There is no power.
But what would it look like if Li Linfu ordered someone to drag a cart full of copywriting books home for Zheng Shuqing to check?
Wanting to understand this situation, Zheng Shuqing scolded Fang Chongyong in his heart for being so talkative and unreliable, but he didn't even take this common sense into consideration.
Of course, he himself was a fool and had never thought of this.
"But, this matter is not difficult to solve."
Li Linfu said slowly that he was in a good mood today and finally sent his political enemy Zhang Jiuling to Jingxiang to go fishing. Naturally, he didn't mind talking to Zheng Shuqing more.
"Please show me, Mr. Li!"
Zheng Shuqing bowed and saluted.
"Today, Niu Xianke was appointed by the saint as the Minister of the Ministry of Industry. He is helpless in the court, and it is time to find allies. The truth is now compiling a letter. You can take it to Niu Xianke and ask him about the people of Hexi.
That’s it.
Niu Xianke started as a small official in Hexi and has been running the business for decades. He must know what is in the documents, and he may also know what is not in the documents. With Niu Xianke's advice, you can write another brief note to the truth.
, this matter is settled.”
Li Linfu nodded slightly and touched the long beard on his chin.
Although Li Linfu is now concurrently serving as the Left and Right Prime Minister, this is only temporary. It is only a matter of time before Li Longji re-appoints the Left Prime Minister. Niu Xianke will not be the Minister of the Ministry of Industry for a long time.
Li Linfu sent Zheng Shuqing to find Niu Xianke, killing two birds with one stone!
Firstly, it provides support to his cronies, and secondly, he draws closer to Niu Xianke.
After Niu Xianke becomes the prime minister, this honest man will not hinder his own government orders. In this way, his comfortable life will come.
"Thank you, Mr. Li, for your advice. I really have nothing to repay you for!"
Zheng Shuqing was so excited that he wanted to give Li Linfu a big gift.
"Please wait for a moment. I'll tell you the truth first by writing a letter."
Li Linfu said with a smile, which was very cordial.