Chapter 1443 Loyalty to the Qin family to protect the Tang Dynasty
The chief executives filed out of Zichen Hall one by one.
Only the Empress Dowager and the Emperor’s mother and son remained in the palace. “I only hope that my father can understand the painstaking efforts of Ai’s family in Luzon. All this is for the foundation of Huangtang.”
"I understand the good intentions of the Queen of Heaven." The young emperor poured a cup of tea for his mother and said respectfully.
"Do you really understand?" Qin asked her son.
Facing his mother's gaze, Li Ye nodded, "My son studied political affairs with the Empress Dowager, so I can somewhat understand what happened today. People often say that Duke Zhou is afraid of gossip days, and Wang Mang was humble before usurping him. But the Grand Master has acted openly in his life, It has always been a matter of joy and hatred, and during the Zhenguan Dynasty, there was an astonishing record of entering seven times and leaving the political hall to worship the prime minister."
"During the reign of the Holy Ancestor, the Grand Master retreated several times. Even since King Zhongwu resigned and returned to the feudal domain, the Qin family has already had this tradition."
Qin Qiong was a prime minister. After the Xuanwu Gate, the holy ancestor intended to help the confidant generals who were born in the Qin palace to be promoted. First, Qin Qiong was appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of War, and then he was appointed as the Minister of Political Affairs. Then Qin Qiong took the initiative to go to Xiangguifan to guard Songzhou and never return. After the dynasty, Li Jing served as prime minister for a short period of time, and after that, Hou Junji, Zhang Liang, the emperor's confidantes all worshiped prime minister.
Not to mention Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, the eldest son, Du Yan, Gao Shilian, Wei Ting and others in the palace of Qin Wang, but there is no second person who can really avoid suspicion and give way like Qin Qiong.
Xiao Yu also went in and out of the political affairs hall several times, but Xiao Yu never resigned on his own initiative, and was kicked out by the emperor.
Qin Qiong started this initiative to resign, and then Qin Lang followed suit, not just for show, but for real resignation.
After that, the emperor summoned Qin Lang out of the mountains several times, and made many contributions to the court, but Qin Lang was never proud of himself. After making a decision to support and make great contributions, the first assistant resigned and returned to the vassal in less than a month.
In the fifteenth year of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, they never entered the Central Plains. Long Shuo entered the capital to congratulate the emperor, but he resigned after only three months in power.
The Shang Yuan Dynasty did not enter the Central Plains for another thirteen years.
If Emperor Bao is in charge today, Qin Lang will not return to the court.
You must know that Qin Lang was only in his forties when the ancestor passed away and was appointed as the chief assistant. It is not ordinary to be able to retreat indifferently in front of the top power time and time again. Whether it is Fang Xuanling or Changsun Wuji, they have never been so free and easy.
Who can refuse the temptation of power over the world?
Even at several crucial moments, Qin Lang had a chance to go further and even win the world, but he didn't have the slightest intention.
Based on this alone, Qin Lang is a time-tested loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty worthy of the respect of the Empress and the Emperor.
With Qin Qiong and Qin Lang in front of them, Qin Jun, who is now in his forties, can also retreat bravely, which makes people believe that the sixty-six-year-old Qin Lang is still alive after all.
Tianhou is holding a teacup.
"Loyalty to the Qin family," sighed, "The more this is the case, the more the Ai family feels that they owe them and feel guilty about the Qin family."
The emperor comforts his mother.
"I know that all of this is for my son, for the sake of the Tang Dynasty. Although the grand master has been tested for a long time and is extremely loyal, there is no way he can have two hearts. But we must take precautions, especially when uncle is younger, Sharper, no one dares to say that my uncle will be as loyal as a grand master."
The Queen Mother nodded.
"I studied with my mother when I was young. At that time, my father would often find time to read and tell me stories. They were all short stories about historical figures. Although the stories were simple and popular, they contained many great principles and helped me a lot in my life. Even today, some of these words are still good words. For example, the grand master once said that people’s hearts cannot stand the test, so don’t test others casually. He also said that sometimes loyalty is just not enough chips for betrayal... ·”
The young emperor broke into a cold sweat when he heard these words, it was too straightforward.
"Erlang, you have to understand a word, people can't help themselves in the rivers and lakes. When a person reaches a certain position, he is no longer just an individual, but represents a circle, a class. After reaching a certain position, you can't help yourself. You will be coerced by interest groups, and even pushed forward, just like the Emperor Shengzu back then, when he became the general of Tiance, he was no longer a simple king of Qin, behind him was the Tiance Mansion , It is the countless soldiers of the West Mansion who followed him to fight here and there."
"The greatest thing about King Zhongwu of Qi and King Anguo Qi is not how good they are at fighting, nor how wise they are, but because they can understand all this, and they can even avoid being tempted, and they can rush to the water at critical moments. Retreat bravely and don't let yourself be in that dilemma."
"Your uncle may be younger, but fortunately, the Qin family still has a grand master in charge. Your uncle and the others will follow his words as a standard. The grand master hopes that they can take a step back, so they all retreat. This step, step back The key to retreat is commendable."
The emperor also nodded.
If Qin Jun and Qin Li don't take this step back, then the Qin family will be in charge of the two mansions, and the emperor will be uneasy. Maybe they can live in peace in three to five years, but how much longer? Ten or fifteen years, can the emperor tolerate it at that time? Or by then, will Qin Jun and the others be willing to hand over power again?
Or at that time, the group of people behind them, it is hard to guarantee that no one will not want to go further.
It is very rare and wise to retreat at this time.
Between the royal family and the Qin family, the hidden estrangement and suspicion were all gone, and the two sides restored the closest relationship. As long as the Qin family does not take charge of the two governments, then the Qin family will still be the number one clan in the Tang Dynasty.
This speed is extremely precise.
Without experiencing the complicated struggle of court power, it is difficult to understand the subtle boundaries.
When Qin Jun and Qin Li resigned, the situation in the center completely changed.
There is no tense tension between the royal family and the Qin family, and there is no direct conflict between the two sides. Although the Qin family's power is growing stronger, for the emperor who has just taken charge of the government, the Qin family is no longer the main problem, and it can even become a powerful force. auxiliary force.
For the sixteen-year-old emperor, how to truly control the court as soon as possible and take back the power in his hands is the top priority. The Qin family takes the lead in cooperating. This is an ally, not an enemy.
Even the ministers of the Qin family in the court are reliable allies.
days later, I was very pleased.
"You have really matured and grown up. Shizu used to be a student taught by the grand master, but Shizu was smart all his life, but he didn't even understand the most basic things. As the emperor in charge of the Tang Dynasty, you must The first thing to figure out is to figure out who is the enemy and who is the friend. If you don’t even distinguish between the real enemy and the primary and secondary, then the result will not be good. Shizu has always put the grand master as Changsun Gong and Wulao treated them as enemies. Those who were Shizu's most staunch allies and supporters turned out to be his own worst enemies, and he tried his best to eliminate them. You have seen the end result. "
"In the Kaiyuan Dynasty, it was normal for the ancestors to have conflicts with the elders, but this conflict was by no means the biggest conflict the emperor faced. How to deal with the various forces in the DPRK and China, both fighting and pulling, splitting and drawing, flexible means, even being able to take the initiative to compromise, unyielding, this is what a true emperor should have."
Tian Hou was teaching the young emperor that the Qin family was indeed very powerful.
But as long as the Qin family has Qin Lang, Qin Jun and Qin Li who know the times, know how to advance and retreat, and know how to measure, then don't always stare at the Qin family.
Struggle is necessary, but it must be well controlled. The game is very complicated and must be handled carefully. As long as the speed is well grasped, then the Qin family can not only prevent the Qin family from threatening the imperial power, but also use the Qin family's strength to stabilize the imperial power.
Don't turn allies into enemies.
Don't be like the ancestors, always fantasizing that you can say what you say, or even do what you want. Even the emperor Gaozu who founded the country and the emperor who created the prosperity of Zhenguan, they can't do whatever they want. The more emperors, the more they know how to compromise .
It is necessary to reconcile the interests of all parties. The emperor is the distributor of the power and interests, not the exclusive one.
Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. This is what Qin Lang said to the holy ancestor when he was sixteen years old.
"The Ai family knows that the speed here is difficult to grasp, but as long as the general direction is good, the speed can be grasped slowly."
As long as one can recognize who is a real friend and who is a real enemy, then even if Li Ye is young and inexperienced, there will be no major turmoil in the court.
Even as long as the benefits can be properly distributed, then even after the death of Grand Master Qin, the descendants of the Qin family will have no chance when there are ignorant people who don't know how to advance and retreat and want to plot evil.
The Tang Dynasty has experienced five emperors and has been passed down for 60 years. As long as this point is mastered, it can continue to move forward smoothly.
"The Ai family has already returned to the emperor, and you have to think about the affairs of the court in the future, but there is one thing that the Ai family would like to solemnly remind the emperor."
"Please teach me!"
"It has been sixty years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. After countless dynasties and countless soldiers' hard work, they have laid down a huge territory today, and it can even be said that it is a vast territory that has never been seen in the Qin and Han Dynasties."
"This is also due to the achievements of Tianhou. In the fifteenth year of Shangyuan, Tianhou listened to the government behind the curtain, pacified the Western Regions, opened the Central South, expanded the Northeast, and connected the world..."
"You don't need to flatter me." The queen mother smiled, "I'm just a girl. When your father died suddenly, I was so helpless and helpless, and the orphans and widows were worried."
"In the past fifteen years of the Shang Yuan Dynasty, I have only done one thing. I tried my best to fill in the gaps. I humbly accepted the good advice of the ministers and workers, and filled the loopholes in the system of the Tang Dynasty. I think the greatest contribution of the Shang Yuan Dynasty was to revise the The frontier army system was established, and the frontiers were stabilized, but this system also has many shortcomings, which can only be repaired by future generations."
"What I want to tell you today is that the Tang Dynasty has the current territory, which is already big enough. Many ministers in the court have already advised that the expansion of the Tang Dynasty has reached its limit, and the ten towns Jiedu envoys guard the four sides. , The soldiers are strong and the horses are strong, which is even more worrying."
"The Tang Dynasty has no population to move to the frontier, and the manor slaves, workshop and mine slaves everywhere in the Central Plains are like piles of dry firewood, which is also very dangerous."
"The meritorious groups that have gone through several dynasties are becoming more and more powerful. The large merchant groups since the Daxing industry and commerce, and the mainland tycoons have controlled industries and commerce in various places. Their power is getting stronger and stronger, and they are all hidden dangers."
"Emperor, in this prosperous age, there are already many evils and many hidden worries. I hope that after you take office, you can start to stop expanding externally, start to shrink your power, stabilize internal affairs, and find ways to adjust and improve these achievements in the country today. The distribution of interests among groups, gentry groups, local tycoons, and maritime business groups should remain stable, otherwise, once any force gets out of control, it may be a prairie fire."
"Don't expand any more, stop and digest the fruits of these victories first, and develop the internal affairs with peace of mind for 30 years. By then, the population of Datang will double, and you will be able to accumulate enough strength to set off a round of New expansion, but now, external expansion must be stopped.”
The queen mother seriously suggested to her son, "The border line in the thirteenth year of the Yuan Dynasty will be used as the boundary, and the continued expansion will be stopped. The Western Regions will be bounded by Yibohai in the west and Wuhushui in the south. It is good to keep only the rule of Jumi, and do not touch the countries such as Chenla, Linyi, Panpan, and Langyaxiu in the central and southern regions. In the northeast, the three provinces of Liaodong, Liaoxi, and Korea should be controlled. As for Bohai, Heishui, Xianbei, The lands in the north of Mobei are still controlled, and many newly conquered frontiers are still empty, so there is really no need to continue the endless expansion of foreign wars."
"The Jiedu Envoys of the border towns are already strong and strong, even adding up to far surpass the forbidden forces in the capital. If they continue to expand, the border towns will get out of control sooner or later. For the current imperial court, it is meaningless to continue to expand. As long as we The place where you can really control is your own place.”
"Otherwise, no matter how much you lay down, it will be useless."
Though the burden on the people of the Tang Dynasty has been reduced over the years, the population has grown rapidly, but no matter how fast it is, it will take thirty years of peace and prosperity before the population can double.
The current population of the Tang Dynasty is about 150 million, but the core Han population is only about 80 million. There are almost the same number of conquered and subjugated barbarians, as well as a large number of slaves of various ethnic groups.
The current population statistics of the imperial court are different from the statistics of previous dynasties. For example, basically all "living people" are included in the household registration statistics. It doesn't matter whether you are a Han, a barbarian or a slave, as long as you are in the territory of the Tang Dynasty Living people must be registered as households, and the crackdown on black households is very severe.
There will not be a large number of hidden populations.
Qin Lang once said at a court meeting that according to calculations, the peak population of the Han Dynasty was 60 million, and that of the Sui Dynasty was 58 million.
However, during the peak period of the two dynasties, there were a large number of barbarian aborigines, slave tribes, hidden and escaped households, etc. who were not included in the household registration population, so the real population was at least one third of the imperial household registration number one.
Datang now has 150 million households, and basically searched out the population, but the real core main Han people are only about 80 million. This is a very serious population hidden danger. After all, according to the usual practice, the other nearly 80 million people Not counting people.
The larger the number, the more hidden dangers.
If the imperial court wants to enrich the newly conquered Liaodong, North Korea, Anxi, Beiting, and even Hezhong, Dianyue, Sanjiang, Lishui, Maenam, and Xichang, it needs too many core Han people, and the gap is very large now.
Even with the current super high population growth rate, it will take too much time to barely occupy these places.
Before this, Datang's conquest of these places can only be said to have completed a small part, which is far from stable.
As a woman, the Empress Dowager Qin is far less interested in such things as men, especially at the moment when her sixteen-year-old son is officially in charge. She hopes that her son can safely take over the power of the Tang Dynasty.
Besides.
The military group is already strong enough, if it continues to open up borders, I am afraid that the Tang Dynasty will be completely reduced to the world of the military group in the future.
Time to stop expanding.
Yan Wu Xiuwen, specializing in internal affairs, promoting scholars and civil officials, gradually weakening the power of warriors, allowing the Tang Dynasty to return to normal, and allowing the young emperor to truly take back the emperor's authority a little bit.
"Take advantage of this opportunity to seal Qin Jun, Qin Li, etc., the sage can give a large amount of enfeoffment to the meritorious military generals in the court. They disarmed and returned to the fields to hand over their military power, and the frontiers were closed."
The emperor was a little worried after hearing this.
"Will there be any changes in cutting military power like this?"
"If you grasp the degree well, you won't be able to. Those warriors can confer feudal titles on the world, and at the same time add officials and titles. The court will stop fighting on the frontier. Naturally, some military positions will be adjusted or even withdrawn. This is also a normal court action."
The queen mother even made a suggestion to the emperor.
"Now the Twelve Guards of the Southern Yamen and the Twelfth Army of the Beiya have the positions of Generals and Generals, but they have long been reduced to pure titles. They are the order of promotion and transfer of generals, and they have no actual titles. The saint then You might as well set up a general on top of the generals."
Twelve Guards, Army General, Twelve Guards General, Twelve Guards General.
Twenty-four generals, twenty-four great generals, twenty-four top generals, from the third rank, the third rank, and the second rank, and seventy-two senior generals can be arranged.
Appropriately adjust some troops in the border towns into the order of the forbidden army in the Beiya, and then cut some soldiers in the border towns out of the battle order of the frontier army and change them into reclamation corps and full-time army garrison. Some of the subordinate farm staff were changed to pasture shepherds.
Even turned some frontier troops into local solidarity soldiers and included them in militia organizations.
This is to strengthen the weak branches and prevent the border town from getting out of control.
At the same time, it can also reduce military expenditures. After all, if there is no external expansion, then there is no need to maintain a strong fighting army on the border.
After part of the army is abolished, part of the officers can naturally be reduced accordingly, and even some senior generals don’t need to stay in the border areas, and they can be directly promoted to ranks and titles.
It is even possible to give them the name of enfeoffment, entrust them to various places in the frontier, keep them away from the center of the imperial court, and prevent the military group from being too powerful in the court.
Li Ye was secretly startled when he heard that, the Empress Dowager's skills were really good, the Qin family said that she would take a step back, and the Empress Dowager here would take a step forward.
(end of this chapter)