Chapter 55: Decision of the Eternal Minister
Only a few days after returning, two wooden signs, namely the Jinyiwei and the Changwei, were hung in front of the gates of the two courtyards of the General Administration's Mansion. However, the officials passing by did not pay much attention to them, and simply thought they were two guards.
It is natural for the lord to have multiple guards. For example, the Sui Emperor had sixteen guards, and now there are only three guards, and no one has any objection.
Li Bo was well aware of the danger, but he could only watch from the sidelines, continuing to control government affairs and rectify matters in the county.
Xu Xingzhi and Li Chunfeng were both first-rate talents in this world. Once they took over power and personnel, they acted decisively and vigorously, worked quickly and urgently, and made sure nothing went wrong. It didn't take long for the Jinyiwei and the Changwei to set up their structures.
It was the end of April. After finishing work, Zhang Xuanning saw the sun setting outside the window. Someone served tea. Zhang Xuanning put down a document, picked up the teacup and took a long sip, sighing, "Sir, I didn't expect these government affairs to be so tedious and so time-consuming."
Li Bo also sighed and said, "My lord, you need to train strong and elite soldiers, not including government affairs. Now there are 13,841 soldiers on duty, and the monthly salary is 31,000 taels of silver, and the grain consumption is 1.2 million catties. When I took over, the total silver in the government hall and the household department warehouse was 348,400 taels. My lord also gave me 8,000 taels of gold, which is 74,000 taels in total. In addition to the manufacturing of weapons and ships, there are also resettlement costs, and other miscellaneous items. Although there are commercial taxes, as of this date, there are only 33,000 taels of silver in the warehouse."
Zhang Xuanning was silent. The soldiers had only been trained for less than three months, and the warehouses in the county were almost exhausted. Only then did he understand why the peasant uprising army could not succeed. All these details had to be taken care of, but there was no one to coordinate and arrange them. Even if they could seize rich warehouses and cities, they would be eaten up in half a year or a year. Once they were eaten up, people would lose their morale and of course they would be unable to accomplish anything.
"However, personnel matters seem to have improved somewhat?"
"Yu Chuo came and was appointed as the county chancellor, Xin Dade came and was appointed as the county magistrate of Zhuji County. Now, the system of four counties and one prefecture is basically complete, and it just needs a little adjustment." Speaking of this, Li Bo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: "There are still people, so it doesn't matter, we can slowly fill it up."
"Fortunately, sir, you are here. Otherwise, I don't think I can finish this task in a year." Zhang Xuanning said sincerely. He spoke from the heart. In this county, most of the officials were unwilling to take office, and the wealthy families were unwilling to truly submit. Fortunately, the Sui Dynasty unified the country, and the powerful Han families in the south were dissatisfied and rebelled. As a result, they were purged by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. Only two or three out of ten of the powerful families in the south remained. Not only did their power decrease, but they also had no identification with the court. Otherwise, things would have been even more difficult.
"Are there any big households causing trouble and disobeying the rules?"
"There is some unrest, but it seems to be under control at the moment."
"Sir, if those wealthy and powerful families don't want to come to my house to be officials, I won't force them. I don't care about other things. However, if there are people who privately hoard weapons or intend to cause trouble, I still ask you to be more ruthless." Zhang Xuanning suddenly remembered an irrelevant matter. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was relatively peaceful. There was a Tibetan named Sha Luoben, the grandson of Jialeba, the Tibetan leader of Jinchuan County. He led the Tibetan soldiers and civilians of a small county to fight back bravely and resist by relying on dangerous terrain. The Qing army was unable to advance for a long time, and it took five years and the mobilization of troops from several provinces. It cost 10 million taels of silver to barely resolve the rebellion - 10 million taels, enough to dredge ten canals, rebuild the Yellow River embankment twice, and reorganize 300,000 elite troops.
Thinking of Emperor Yang of Sui's second expedition to Korea, when victory was within his grasp, but Yang Xuangan rebelled, and all previous efforts were wasted. Countless amounts of money and rice were spent, but no achievements were made, and instead, the army was destroyed. He said gloomily, "At the beginning of next month, I will lead the army to attack Yongjia County. Sir, you know that even if we gather more of our current assets, we can only send out 5,000 troops to fight for a month. I don't want my house to catch fire when I go out, so that I can only return in vain. Then the county will be empty, and its morale and prestige will plummet. It will be difficult to make a comeback from then on. I think someone is going to make trouble, but at that time, this is a big disaster and must not be tolerated. No matter how noble their family is, no matter how virtuous and respected they are, should they be allowed to have nothing to fear and can only rebel on their own without me exterminating their entire family?"
Zhang Xuanning did not hate the aristocratic families, on the premise that these families would at least behave themselves, not cause trouble for him, and not undermine or resist his policies. Otherwise, even if they were the so-called saints of the Kong family, killing them would lose the hope of scholars all over the world, so he would kill them all.
This universe is a universe of the survival of the fittest. You can still survive if you kill saints, but if you dare not use force, you will only have death. There is no point in talking about the overall situation. If it comes to this, any other considerations are all bullshit. Survival in the present is the real truth.
This murderous aura immediately startled Li Bo. He thought about it, chose his words, and said, "It probably won't be that serious. However, if anyone really takes advantage of the lord's attack to cause trouble, I will punish him severely."
"Where's Chen Changlin? Any news?"
"My lord is really clear about his calculations, and Shen Faxing does have the intention of recruiting and suppressing them. Although the Chen family is a large family in Nanhai County, it is difficult for them to fight against the Shen family. Therefore, when we contacted them, they were very enthusiastic. However, it is too early for them to surrender now. However, Chen Changlin did come. He estimated that he would be able to meet the lord by the end of this month. He brought three ships and about 300 clansmen."
“Well, it’s impossible to ask the whole clan to surrender unless it’s a last resort. Bringing some people with me now is a test. Of course, it’s also because our power is too weak. Once I gain control of the three counties, I will probably have the capital to recruit such a big clan.” Zhang Xuanning was very clear about this and said.
"It's a pity that Miao Haichao is unwilling to surrender to me. Otherwise, our army could have obtained Yongjia County with less expenditure. If we had obtained Yongjia County, it would be two counties after all. No matter what, the expenditure would be naturally balanced." Zhang Xuanning said with a wry smile, and after a pause, he said, "That's good. Sir, you must be tired. Just go and rest early."
Li Bo hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said, "That's just what I was going to do. I'll take my leave then."
After saying this, he went out and saw his son Li Chunfeng outside, but he didn't say hello. Not long after, he heard the sound of carriages and horses, and it seemed that he had returned.
"My lord, I, Li Chunfeng, am here to pay my respects." Although they are father and son, Li Chunfeng, as a child of aristocratic family, naturally knows the importance of being an official. As a close attendant and counselor, he still has to act with caution. After his father left, Li Chunfeng stepped forward to pay his respects.
"You came just in time. Have you figured out the situation in Yongjia County?"
"It has been figured out. In Yongjia County, Miao Haichao has been causing chaos for a long time. The county army and Miao Haichao's troops are relatively tired. Our army has 3,000 naval forces, 5,000 infantry, and 200 cavalry, which can also be used. Each county has several dozen people observing the geography, who can lead the way when necessary. I just don't know how the lord intends to fight?"
"The capital of Yongjia County is in Yongjia County, facing the sea. If our army goes up the coast, we can directly go ashore and attack this city. If this city is captured, the entire county will not be a problem. Unfortunately, the war has been going on this year, and even if we take Yongjia County, we may not have much inventory." Zhang Xuanning sighed and said, "Okay, you did a good job on this matter, but now I have something else to tell you. This is a big deal, so don't neglect it."
"Yes, my lord, please give my orders!" Feeling his serious atmosphere, Li Chunfeng said in a low voice.
"First, you go contact Li Mi. You are good at writing, so help me draft it. I will write it myself. Be respectful and call him uncle. He is my father's adviser and has the title of Duke of Pushan County. It is not too much to call him uncle." Although Zhang Xuanning did not care whether Yang Xuangan was his father in this flesh and blood, since the most important ministers around him had recognized it, it was okay to call him uncle: "Show your courtesy, but don't force it. I don't think he will come to me."
"My goal is not to force him to come to me, but it is necessary to establish a relationship with him, especially since Li Mi doesn't have many people around him now, no more than twenty people. I have to keep a close eye on them. I have to bribe those who can be bribed. It is relatively easy to bribe them with personal relationships. If you are lenient with me, it will be effective when necessary."
"Also, you should arrange for people to join the Wagang Army. The Wagang Army is not strong enough right now, so we can do this. If Li Mi joins the Wagang Army, he will naturally recruit his own people in the army. Our people should try their best to get close to him, so as to become the first batch of generals to follow him, so as to take control of his power and gain control of the army."
Hearing this, Li Chunfeng could not help but sweat. He responded and said, "Will Lord Li go to join the Wagang rebels? That's impossible. He is the great-grandson of Lord Zhenxiang Yan. His grandfather Yao was the Duke of Xing of Zhou. His father Kuan was brave and good at fighting. He was very capable. From Zhou to Sui, he served as a general several times and became a pillar of the country and the Duke of Pushan. He himself is also very calculating, talented in both civil and military affairs, ambitious, and always takes it as his responsibility to help others. How could he join the rebels?"
The Wagang Army was a group of people gathered by Zhai Rang, which was actually a rebellion of the people. How could an heir to a family that was once one of the Eight Pillars of the State possibly join the ranks of such untouchables?
"Whether it is true or not, just do it. Yes, and give me two hundred taels of gold as a gift." In the ninth year of Daye, Yang Xuangan raised an army in Liyang to rebel against the Sui Dynasty and summoned Li Mi as his chief strategist. Xuangan was defeated and Li Mi fled. According to history, it is almost time for him to join the Wagang Army.
When Li Mi joined the Wagang Army, he had only twenty people around him. Half a year later, he rose within the Wagang Army, forming a power with Li Mi, Fang Yanzhao, Chang He, Shi Derui, Li Xuanying, Zu Junyan and others as the core. At the beginning of the next year, Li Mi was allowed to establish the "Pushan Public Camp". His power expanded rapidly. By the end of the next year, he would be able to kill Zhai Rang and seize power in the Wagang Army. He was truly a hero in the world.
But because of this, there were too few direct descendants to identify one by one, and people's hearts were not united. If they sent people to join him in advance, they could immediately become relatively high-level officials of Li Mi. Therefore, it was only natural for them to grasp the military intelligence of the Wagang Army.
"Yes, my lord!" Since the lord did not want to answer, Li Chunfeng did not ask. He just responded and then wrote it on the spot. In a short time, a touching family letter was written.
Zhang Xuanning looked at it and thought it was very good, so he started writing immediately. As for writing, he seemed to have inherited the handwriting of his original body. In addition, he had not forgotten to practice in the past few years. Although his writing was not outstanding, his characters were smooth and round.
After the letter was sealed, Zhang Xuanning continued, "Second, send people to Taiyuan or the counties near Taiyuan to divide them into two types. The first type is people who run shops and do business. There is no need to spy on anything. Just record the purchase and sale of rice in the city."
It is a truth that when an army moves, food and fodder must go first. Therefore, in order to actually know the movement of the army, one only needs to pay attention to the whereabouts of the food in the area, and then one can roughly know the situation. This is not difficult, and Li Chunfeng also responded.
"Also, Li Yuan has not started an uprising yet. Therefore, although there are family soldiers, they are not formally organized and their number cannot be large. You can send more people to join the Taiyuan garrison. The positions of squad leader and fire chief are enough. As for the various families of the Li family, although they have family servants for generations, they will definitely expand in the future. You can also prepare in advance, place them on the periphery, and wait for the opportunity. When the Li family starts an uprising in the future and the scale expands, our people can also take the opportunity to be promoted. I still say this: be patient and don't be impatient, and human relationships are the priority. This will take several years or even decades, but you can tell them that I will take care of their families. They will be undercover for one year, and they will be promoted one level, and their wives will be protected. Please note that the people you send must have their families in my hands, and there will be superiors and subordinates, and everyone will be unaware and supervise each other."
"Yes, my lord. This way, even if they get a chance and gain a high position elsewhere, we will have some control over them."
"Well, in the final analysis, it all depends on the future. If our army declines and he becomes successful elsewhere, I'm afraid no matter how many methods we use, it will be useless. But it's better to be prepared than not. We should not easily touch those inner spies who have climbed to high positions, nor give them orders at will."
"Yes, my lord."
"Li Shimin's brother-in-law, Changsun Wuji, also did the same thing. Well, you can spread the word secretly, saying that he has inherited the royal aura of his ancestors (he is a complete Hu man, a member of the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei people, a member of the Northern Wei royal family, and later changed to Changsun), and can be a king. The person he assists will surely become an emperor. You can go and publish this ballad."
Zhangsun Wuji was a core member of Li Shimin. He was extraordinary in both civil and military affairs. He participated in all of Li Shimin's battles, especially in the Xuanwu Gate Incident. He was trusted by Li Shimin for his whole life, and Li Shimin commented: "I have the world, mostly because of this man's efforts."
——How could this person not plot against him first? Why not alienate him first? Anyway, the prediction doesn't cost money, it's a very profitable thing. Hehe, think about it, I don't know if Li Shimin's brothers, or even Li Yuan, heard that "this person has the appearance of a king, and the assistant will definitely become the emperor", they would definitely not be willing to be Li Shimin's subordinate, or use him for their own purposes, or eliminate him, anyway, they would destroy the original destiny.
If we say that he has the appearance of an emperor, that would be too obvious and unlikely (the Changsun family had already weakened at that time, so it was unlikely), but to say that he has the appearance of a king would hit the mark in some people's minds.
"Also, you found Li Yuan's cousin Li Xiaogong, and you can also predict that this person has the appearance of Han Xin."
Historically, this man was a true military talent. He was responsible for the management of Bashu, the destruction of Xiao Xian and Fu Gongju, and the command of the area south of the Yangtze River. His military exploits were comparable to those of Li Shimin. After Li Shimin ascended the throne, he withdrew from the center of power and entertained himself with singing, dancing and beauties. In the 14th year of Zhenguan, he died of a sudden illness. Legend has it that it was Li Shimin who killed him.
Han Xin's appearance, hehe, these four words are really extremely vicious. I wonder what the Li family will think about it, especially when he has achieved unprecedented achievements.
"Find another person, Du Ruhui, courtesy name Keming, from Duling, Jingzhao. His grandfather Du Guo was the Minister of Works of the Sui Dynasty, and his father Du Zha was the Chief of Changzhou of the Sui Dynasty. Well, he used to be a minor official in Fuyang, and now he should resign and go home. You should find a way to invite him. If he doesn't come, you should also place people around him. At this time, I only have one county, and maybe he thinks I am too weak, so it is natural for him not to come. But if I get three or five counties and he still doesn't come, then organize people and kill him."
Du Ruhui was Li Shimin's main aide and the mastermind of the Xuanwu Gate Incident. He often participated in military campaigns, confidential matters, and military and national affairs, and was able to make quick judgments. If such a person could not be captured, he would have to be killed in advance.
“Oh, at this time, there is a man named Wei Zheng in Julu. Maybe he is a Taoist priest now, or he is a secretary of Yuan Baozang, the magistrate of Wuyang County in Sui Dynasty. You can send someone to him and say, come to me, the magistrate of a county can choose anyone. It must be a matter of course to accept this person.”
Practically speaking, Wei Zheng may be a loyal minister in history who dared to criticize the monarch directly, but in fact, he was a spineless person. When the county magistrate Yuan Baozang asked him to be a second-rate secretary, he went there in a hurry. After Baozang surrendered the county to Li Mi, he immediately became a loyal minister to Li Mi. After Li Mi surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, he was captured by Dou Jiande and became an official of Dou Jiande. After Dou Jiande's demise, he returned to the Tang Dynasty and served under Prince Jiancheng. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he surrendered to Li Shimin again. This man could be called a slave of the five surnames, but he knew that he was fickle, and seeing that Li Shimin wanted to gain a good reputation, he became a loyal minister with a strong character.
At this point, I think a move will come.
"Also, go find the Fang family in Linzi, Qizhou. They have a son named Fang Xuanling, who should be a minor official in Xichengwei now. You can also contact him and give him the same treatment as Du Ruhui."
"Changsun Wuji was raised by his uncle Gao Shilian. He has now been exiled to Lingnan by the emperor. Go find him and kill him. Don't let him return to the Li family."
"There is a general, Yuchi Jingde, who is currently serving in the army in Gaoyang. You should go and persuade him to surrender. If he refuses, you can make peace with him."
"Li Jing, please pay attention. This person has a connection with my ancestors. Send someone to recruit him. If he refuses, we can talk about it later. When I have the three counties, if he still refuses, I will kill him. However, this person is very skilled in martial arts, so you must not be careless. You must kill him with one strike."
"The Wagang Army has Li Shiji, Cheng Zhijie, Qin Shubao, and Li Shiji's subordinates also have Zhang Liang. They are all powerful generals, so we should make friends with them first."
"At this time, Zhang Gongjin, a subordinate of Wang Shichong, can also be befriended."
"Yu Chuo and Yu Shiji have a close relationship and can communicate with each other secretly. His brother Yu Shinan should not be ignored either."
"Don't be careless with any of these people. Take care of them all. If you can do this, my brother Xu will be rewarded with a duke in the future!"
This series of orders were issued, either to kill, to dismiss, or to supervise the above-mentioned people, quickly and urgently, with decisiveness, and Li Chunfeng had no chance to speak. The more Li Chunfeng wrote, the more shocked he became. Before long, his body was covered in cold sweat. These people might be from all over the world, or from the court and the public, so why was the lord so grand?
He didn't dare to think any further, but just wrote it down and said, "I'll do it right away."
Twenty-four heroes in the Lingyan Pavilion.
Duke of Zhao Zhangsun Wuji is the first. Prince of Zhao Li Xiaogong is the second. Duke of Lai Du Ruhui is the third. Duke of Zheng Wei Zheng is the fourth. Duke of Liang Fang Xuanling is the fifth. Duke of Li Shen Gao Shilian is the sixth. Duke of E Yuchi Jingde is the seventh. Duke of Wei Li Jing is the eighth. Duke of Song Xiao Yu is the ninth. Duke of Bao Duan Zhixuan is the tenth. Duke of Kui Liu Hongji is the eleventh. Duke of Jiang Qu Tutong is the twelfth. Duke of Xun Yin Qiao is the thirteenth. Duke of Qiao Chai Shao is the fourteenth. Duke of Pi Zhangsun Shunde is the fifteenth. Duke of Yun Zhang Liang is the sixteenth. Duke of Lu Hou Junji is the seventeenth. Duke of Tan Zhang Gongjin is the eighteenth. Duke of Lu Cheng Zhijie is the nineteenth. Duke of Yongxing Yu Shinan is the twentieth. Duke of Yu Liu Zhenghui is the twenty-first. Duke of Ju Tang Jian is the twenty-second. Duke of Ying Li Shiji is the twenty-third. Duke of Hu Qin Shubao is the twenty-fourth.
Not all of those who have just been dealt with are real people. However, some of them are now in high positions, or are members of Li Yuan’s old family and cannot be touched, so that’s it. However, those who can be touched must of course be recruited, dealt with, and killed in advance.
Zhang Xuanning heaved a sigh of relief after Li Chunfeng left. What was the point of having famous ministers and generals throughout the ages? If they were not useful to him, it was natural to kill as many as he could. In fact, as long as he killed one third of them and captured one third of them, it would be enough. He called again, "Call Xu Xingzhi up."
Of course, he was asked to supervise Li Chunfeng's execution. If he had any ulterior motives, then Li Chunfeng's family would be exterminated.
