Chapter 52: Go to Zhaozhou Li family to rob food?
Li Yuanji needed two people, but Li Shimin gave him four candidates.
Li Yuanji thought about Li Shimin's thoughts for a moment and understood them.
The transfer of officials not only required them to plan behind the scenes , but also required Li Jiancheng and Li Yuan to take action when necessary.
So not only they needed someone to take the blame, but Li Jiancheng and Li Yuan also needed it.
Yin Ashu is a relative by marriage and is known for being arrogant and domineering. With the support of Concubine Yin De and Prince of Feng Li Yuanheng, it is understandable that he helps others to get official positions. It would be a problem if he did not help others to get official positions.
So it is appropriate for him to take the blame for Li Yuan.
If he knew about this, he would definitely be happy to take the blame for Li Yuan.
After all, not everyone is qualified to take the blame for Li Yuan.
Given Li Yuan's personality, if you take the blame for him, he will definitely give you a lot of benefits in private.
He Deren was Li Jiancheng's man, holding the same position as Wei Zheng, and was also the Prince's groom. However, he was old and semi-retired, so he did not attend court or help Li Jiancheng with government affairs.
He played a small role in Li Jiancheng's career, but his prestige under Li Jiancheng was very high.
If he acted greedy and used his prestige to help others get officials in the Eastern Palace, and word got out, others would understand and would not suspect Li Jiancheng.
Li Sixing is from the Prince of Qi's Mansion and also from Li Yuan. Although he has a high status, he has no fame and is not eye-catching. He is almost an invisible person in the court and the country.
He was the Chief Clerk of the Prince of Qi's Palace and also Li Yuan's chief contributor. It was reasonable for him to use his position and status to secure opportunities for other people to be transferred to other positions and spread the news.
No one else would suspect Li Yuanji.
As for Yuwen Shiji, he followed Li Shimin in his battles all over the world. In the eyes of outsiders, he was Li Shimin's man, but Li Shimin never regarded him as his own.
He had status and position, and was qualified to seek opportunities for others to be transferred under Li Shimin.
Li Shimin used him as a discarded pawn, but he didn't feel sorry for it.
But Li Shimin used Li Sixing as a discarded pawn, and Li Yuanji felt distressed.
Li Sixing was the only person under his command who was presentable, and he was discarded as a pawn. When he has to confront the civil and military officials in public in the future, he will have to show up himself.
It would be so embarrassing for a prince to argue with a group of ministers.
"Li Sixing is not right..."
Li Yuanji spoke .
Li Shimin was stunned and asked, "Besides Li Sixing, who else under you can take on this important task?"
Li Shimin also thought carefully before making the choice.
He felt that apart from Li Yuanji himself, only Li Sixing could seek opportunities for others to be transferred horizontally, which would not arouse suspicion.
Li Yuanji glanced at Li Shimin and said unhappily, "You also know that Li Sixing is the only one under me who can take on the important task, right?"
Li Shimin was stunned and smiled awkwardly.
He forgot that there were few people in Prince Qi's mansion who were presentable.
So far, the only ones who can have a say in public seem to be Li Yuanji and Li Sixing.
"Then tell me, who is suitable?"
Li Shimin couldn't force Li Yuanji to abandon the only person in the mansion who was capable of showing off his abilities.
Li Yuanji hesitated for a moment and said, "What do you think of Yuwen Bao?"
Yuwen Bao was not a good person. He often instigated his predecessor to do evil things.
So he couldn't get close to Yuwen Bao.
Yuwen Bao previously commanded the troops of the Prince of Qi's Palace in Bingzhou. Now the troops of the Prince of Qi's Palace were transferred to Luoyang, and Yuwen Bao also went with them.
Now that he needs a discarded pawn, he would first recommend Yuwen Bao.
Li Shimin frowned and said, "I'm afraid Yuwen Bao is not qualified?"
Although Yuwen Bao's official position in the Prince of Qi's Palace was one level higher than Xie Shufang's, it was not yet at the level where he could help others obtain opportunities for horizontal transfers.
At best, he is a leader of the troops in the Prince of Qi's palace. He has neither the qualifications nor the ability.
Li Yuanji looked at Li Shimin. Was Li Shimin too concerned about identity, status, qualifications and abilities, and had forgotten the roles that the people in his house were to play?
Li Yuanji reminded, "Second brother, it is my people who are transferred out, not outsiders who are transferred into my house. The people in my house are at best just go-betweens."
Li Shimin was obviously stunned for a moment and realized that he was overthinking.
"Ahem... In that case, Yuwen Bao is indeed a suitable candidate."
Seeing that Li Shimin agreed to let Yuwen Bao come forward, Li Yuanji immediately said, "Second brother is still needed to negotiate with father and eldest brother."
Negotiating with Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng is not an easy task.
This matter involves a wide range of people and there are so many interests involved.
How to make choices, who gets more and who gets less, all require arguing.
He was weak and could not stand up to Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng.
If he went to negotiate with Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng, he would have to make sacrifices, so it would be better for him to leave the trouble to Li Shimin.
Li Shimin thought about it for a moment and nodded slowly.
For matters like this, he is indeed more suitable than Li Yuanji to negotiate.
"This should be done as soon as possible. I will go back and count the people who want to be transferred."
Li Yuanji had discussed the matter with Li Shimin and had no intention of staying any longer.
Li Shimin was concerned about the grain in the hands of the wealthy families, so he did not try to keep Li Yuanji.
Li Yuanji left the front hall of Luoyang Palace and hurried back to the side hall.
When I returned to the side hall, Xie Shufang was waiting for me at the entrance.
Li Yuanji did not exchange pleasantries with Xie Shufang, but went straight to the point and asked, "How is it, how many people are willing to work as officials in the Qin Palace?"
Xie Shufang hesitated for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "Almost everyone wants to go..."
Xie Shufang's voice became lower and lower, worried that Li Yuanji would get angry.
Li Yuanji didn't get angry, he just opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
He was well aware of his bad reputation and it was understandable that he was not liked by others.
But among so many subordinates, not one was willing to stay under him, which made him very unhappy.
"What do they think my house is? They can come and go as they please?"
Li Yuanji was unhappy and his voice became a little higher.
Xie Shufang said in a deep voice: "Do you want me to give them some advice?"
Li Yuanji sighed and waved his hand, saying, "Forget it. Everyone has their own aspirations, and we can't force them."
Except for a few talented people who stay in the mansion to be trained slowly, all others who want to go to the Qin Palace can go.
Anyway, the more they go to the Prince Qin's Mansion, the more he earns.
He felt much happier when he thought that he would soon have a large amount of food and fodder income, and that the pace of preparing to build the Third Left Army of the Prince of Qi's Palace would also be much faster.
"Go and call Yuwen Bao to come see me."
Li Yuanji ordered.
Xie Shufang clasped his fists and agreed, "Yes!"
Li Yuanji walked into the side hall of Luoyang Palace and sat down.
Not long after, Xie Shufang brought Yuwen Bao to the side hall.
Yuwen Bao was a general in name, but he was thin and small, and did not look like a general at all.
When he saw Li Yuanji, he walked forward flatteringly and knelt on one knee, "Your Highness, your servant Yuwen Bao pays respect to you."
Li Yuanji waved his hand, asked Yuwen Bao to stand up, and told Xie Shufang to go down, and by the way, sent the guards at the door away.
When he and Yuwen Bao were the only ones left in the palace, Li Yuanji asked politely, "Yuwen Bao, how have you been in Bingzhou these days?"
Yuwen Bao hurriedly approached Li Yuanji and sighed, "To be honest with you, Your Highness, I have lost my appetite and cannot sleep at night because I cannot serve you."
Li Yuanji narrowed his eyes subconsciously.
Stop talking nonsense.
There is a bottom line to flattery.
Losing appetite, unable to sleep at night, is this something that men can do? !
"Your Highness doesn't believe it?"
When Yuwen Bao saw Li Yuanji staring at him, he thought that Li Yuanji didn't believe it, so he immediately wanted to give an example.
Li Yuanji was a little disgusted. In order to prevent Yuwen Bao from saying anything disgusting again, he hurriedly said, "I believe it, I believe it. Since you are loyal to me, there is an important thing I need to entrust to you."
Yuwen Bao's eyes lit up, and he immediately clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, please give me your orders! I am willing to serve you at my utmost!"
Li Yuanji nodded and said, "I intend to establish the Zuo San Tongjun..."
Yu Wenbao's eyes became brighter.
Is Li Yuanji going to appoint him as the commander-in-chief of the Military Commandery?
"It's a pity that we have money but no food. The granaries in various places are empty."
Li Yuanji sighed.
Yuwen Bao's eyes turned, and he immediately said, "I know where there is food."
"Um?"
Li Yuanji looked at Yuwen Bao in surprise.
The granaries in various places are empty, and only the wealthy families have food. Is it possible that apart from the wealthy families, anyone else has food?
Yuwen Bao said with great joy: "When I was riding in Bingzhou, I heard that the Li family in Zhaozhou had hundreds of thousands of dan of grain hidden in Pingji. Now Liu Heita has caused chaos in Zhaozhou.
Your Highness only needs to send a troop of soldiers, disguised as Liu Heita's rebel soldiers, break into Zhaozhou from Yizhou, occupy Pingji, and you will have countless food.
By then, let alone building the Left Third Military Headquarters, even building the Right Third Military Headquarters would be more than enough.”
After listening to Yuwen Bao's words, Li Yuanji was speechless.
Yuwen Bao is really a talented person.
Go to Zhaozhou to seize the food of the Zhaozhou Li family?
Did you know that the Zhaozhou Li family has another name, the Zhaojun Li family?
Is it one of the five surnames and seven families?
Li Yuan doesn't even want to target the Zhaojun Li family, and you want me to go to the Zhaojun Li family to steal their food?
Do you think I've lived too long?
Do you believe that if I send people to Zhaozhou today, the people of the Zhaojun Li family will dare to donate hundreds of thousands of shi of grain in the clan to Liu Heita tomorrow, and help Liu Heita to wreak havoc in more areas of the Li Tang Dynasty?
Once the Li Tang Dynasty fell into chaos, I would be the culprit again. Do you believe that Li Yuan would follow his example and also stage a Mawei Slope battle to execute me and give an explanation to all the civil and military officials?
"Your Highness, what do you think of my proposal?"
Seeing that Li Yuanji remained silent for a long time, Yuwen Bao asked urgently.
Li Yuanji looked at Yuwen Bao deeply, wondering if this guy really had a problem with his brain, didn't know the consequences of provoking the Zhaojun Li family, or was deliberately trying to harm him.
"My second brother wants to use his troops against Zhaozhou, and my third sister is stationed at the border of Zhaozhou. You want me to send soldiers to pretend to be Liu Heita's rebels and go to Zhaozhou to rob food. Do you think I can hide it from them?"
Li Yuanji questioned.
