Spoiling History: Starting from the Three Kingdoms

Although Yongliang is vast, it is relatively sparsely populated.

Therefore, any anecdote or two that can be used as a source of conversation spreads quickly, so many people are familiar with the grievances between Ma Chao and Yan Xing.

This general under Han Sui's most well-known record in Yongliang today only has four words: killed Ma Chao several times.

For this reason, whenever Ma Chao talked about how he conquered Yongliang, Qiang, and Hu Cong, Zhang Fei would wonder aloud:

Then why can't even Yan Xing be defeated?

Ma Chao's eloquence suddenly turned into speechless.

If Liu Bei is not around, Zhang Fei will often add another sentence:

Meng Qi's expression right now is quite similar to that of my second brother.

So a good conversation will eventually end with an appointment to practice martial arts.

So now that he heard that Yan Xing was going to cause trouble, Ma Chao couldn't hold himself back.

He wants to make progress so much!

Liu Bei and his two military advisors looked at each other, were silent for a while, and then considered:

Now that Guanzhong has been settled, there will inevitably be old rifts between Qiang'er and Han'er, and Meng Qi still needs to be in charge.

Moreover, the situation in Jingzhou is still unclear. If the war situation is unfavorable, we will need to send troops out of Tongguan to intimidate Xu Du to rescue Yunchang.

Who else but you will be the vanguard of the three armies?

So Yan Xing and Zhang Fei were immediately thrown out of the sky by Ma Chao. He rubbed his hands with joy and wanted to be humble, but he couldn't think of the right words for a while.

So he could only choose the common practice of military commanders, bowing and clasping his fists, expressing his willingness to die in service.

In my heart, I sighed even more. From Mr. Jian to Mr. Xuande, they all treated people with sincerity and made people feel good. But looking at Han Sui, who is now alienated from his subordinates, and looking at Ma Teng... well, forget it.

Pang Tong looked at Ma Chao's face gradually turning red due to excitement, smiled and joked softly:

Yide is right. They are really similar to Yun Chang.

Kong Ming was speechless. Seeing that Ma Chao seemed to want to speak sincere words to his lord, he simply took Pang Tong with him and went for a walk and chat.

There was also a letter from Cheng Gongying before, saying that he followed the map to find Qinghai, but the weather was bitter and cold and it was difficult to stay, so he had to go to Jincheng in the end.

Pang Tong knew these things very well and talked eloquently:

Han Sui is already old and frail. I am afraid that his old illness will relapse after this trip, which will lead to this disaster.

Kong Ming shook his head and sighed slightly:

No one knows that the gift of money from scholars is a conspiracy, but Han Wen's promise cannot be refused.

Pang Tong just smiled softly. For him, making decisions based on people was just a common thing.

After all, Han Sui had already made a name for himself in Xizhou before the Yellow Turbans, and the thirty years he had been supporting the army had determined that he would never settle for being inferior to others.

However, the rise of Ma Chao, the unstoppable Xuande Gong, and Cao Cao who had always coveted Yongliang. Various factors determined that Yongliang had no room for Han Wenyue to intervene.

Under such circumstances, the accurate map given by Pang Tong became Han Sui's last life-saving straw.

But now it seems that this hero who has dominated Yongliang for thirty years has finally been defeated by old age and physical weakness brought by time.

After sighing a little, Pang Tong said seriously:

If you want to put an end to the chaos, you must hire a general who can intimidate Liangzhou if you advance, and weigh the pros and cons of retreating.

With a sharp mind, he can negotiate with Han Sui without falling behind, and with a decisive attitude, he can face the battle and never miss an opportunity.

Kong Ming laughed and said:

If Shi Yuan said this, then there must be only one general who is worthy of this position now.

Then the two of them said in unison:

Liangzhou and his party, who is better than Yi De?

The two looked at each other and then laughed together.

…

Tang Changan.

Li Shimin, who was awakened from his sleep, stared at the sky without any light at all, feeling regret in his heart:

Why did I allow Zheng Aiqing to retire and promote Chu Suiliang to be a living minister?

It's probably because I've seen too many light screens and my mind is not clear.

What can be obtained from the light curtain is not only the knowledge of future generations, but also the names of capable ministers and officials.

There are people like Wang Xuan who started his career at a young age, such as Ma Zhou, and there are also courtiers like Chu Suiliang who were in the middle from the beginning.

In the fourth year of Wude, he opened Tiance Mansion, set up a literature hall, and personally selected eighteen bachelors to discuss the strategy of governing the country. Yu Shinan, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, etc. were among them. Chu Liang, who was in charge of literature, was Chu Suiliang's father.

After he came to the throne, the literature hall supported by these eighteen bachelors became the Hongwen Hall, which defined literature, expanded culture, presented canons and systems, and was highly used. In the process, Chu Suiliang also showed his talent step by step.

According to his initial thoughts, Li Shimin still wanted to put Chu Suiliang in the Hongwen Hall to train for a few more years.

But now the changes in the light curtain wait for no one. In just two years, Li Shimin felt that the things that Datang should do in the next twenty years have been listed one by one and are waiting to be realized.

It just so happened that last month, Xueshi Zheng retired and returned to his hometown, so the position of Living Master, who needed to record Tian's words and deeds, became vacant.

After Li Shimin thought about it for a while, he issued an edict to appoint Chu Suiliang as a living minister, intending to stay with him and take exams to see how talented he was.

As for other things, Li Shimin admitted that he didn't think about it that much.

After all, the official position of Julang was only established in the second year of Zhenguan by the previous dynasty. In the past three years, he knew how to behave and got along with the retired Xueshi Zheng quite happily.

I just didn't expect that the daily official appointed by Chu Suiliang was completely different from that of Zheng Xueshi.

For example, at this moment, when it was clear that there was still an hour before dawn, the chamberlain came to wake him up and told him:

Chu Zuoji is on duty.

Zuo Chi is the official nickname of Julang.

Li Shimin was a little annoyed when he was woken up from the dream of beating up Byzantine white ghosts. He wanted to ignore it or scold him, but thinking of the responsibilities of the resident official, he restrained his anger and nodded listlessly, indicating that he should be let in. .

Chu Suiliang, who had a hard pen in his left hand and white writing in his right hand, walked in slowly, stood aside after bowing his hands in greeting, and then made two brushstrokes.

This action immediately made Li Shimin's eyebrows jump:

There’s nothing good to record before dawn!

Then I could only comfort myself, probably recording the time or something like that.

The clear dream was disturbed, so I could only shake my head and get up to change clothes.

The chamberlain wanted to come forward to help as usual, but was repelled by Li Shimin as usual.

But after seeing the record of Chu Suiliang's flying pen, Li Shimin quickly opened his mouth to explain:

I am only thirty years old, why do I need someone to help me change my clothes?

It's a pity that Chu Suiliang didn't even give a nod, which made Li Shimin feel as if he was talking to the air.

How silly!

Seeing that the emperor had finished washing and changing clothes, the servants began to eat without any instructions.

Since Sun Simiao arrived in Chang'an, Li Shimin's meals have become much lighter. For example, the fried cakes that he loved to eat in the past are not included in the court food now. There is no mutton soup that is most commonly used during the march, and there is no chance of eating it due to greedy appetites. grilled lamb.

A bowl of apricot cheese porridge, a bowl of tea porridge, a plate of jade dew dumplings and mixed vegetable pancakes, plus a plate of grilled fish, this is the morning meal prescribed by Imperial Physician Sun.

Li Shimin took two bites and felt much better after taking the hot food. Seeing Chu Suiliang standing there and staring closely at him, he suddenly felt uncomfortable and pointed at the table:

Chu Aiqing, can we have some together?

Chu Suiliang responded to Li Shimin's invitation with a flurry of writing.

The hard pen wrote on the paper, making a rustling sound, which made him twitch again.

Now even the chamberlain serving next to him could tell that His Majesty was not in a good mood.

After all, the pancakes that the imperial kitchen had worked so hard to fry were now torn to pieces by His Majesty with chopsticks.

Chu Suiliang wrote faster.

At Mao hour, Li Shimin went to the Liangyi Hall to attend the morning court.

It was June, and there was still a slight chill at dawn. The moisture that had not dissipated at night on Li Shimin's face also made his head more awake.

After becoming emperor for a few years, he understood more and more why there was an early court. Facing the cold and rising sun, the empire's overall strategy was extremely clear in his mind at the moment, and some of the issues that might need to be discussed later were also in his mind. A quick spin will reveal the gains and losses.

He even had time to think about Chu Suiliang who was following behind him.

Although I was annoyed that Chu Suiliang had disturbed Qingmeng, I thought that it would be even harder for the official to come from home, so I felt a little more considerate:

It takes a lot of effort to climb the mountain.

In response to his overtures, there was the familiar rustle of writing, and Li Shimin gave up:

That’s all, just do whatever you want.

After calculating the time, today should be the regular meeting of the imperial court. This made Li Shimin feel a little relieved, and he did not have to attend the imperial meeting in the morning.

In accordance with his ambitions when he ascended the throne, he personally made many improvements to the court.

For example, the 1st and 15th of each month are the New Year's Eve gatherings, which require display of ceremonial guards, attendance of all officials, and ceremonies and rites. Their solemnity is second only to the Yuanzheng and Winter Solstice gatherings.

At other times, on the 5th, 11th, 21st, and 25th, officials of fifth rank and above must attend the morning court, which is called regular attendance.

On the ninth, nineteenth and twenty-ninth days, only officials of third rank or above can participate in the morning dynasty, which is called re-participation.

If I remember correctly, today should be the eleventh day. We often attend morning court meetings, but the etiquette does not need to be so complete.

The group's pace was not too fast. When they arrived at the Bell and Drum Tower, the officials were already lined up in the palace according to their rank. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and others in the front row were very conspicuous. Li Shimin glanced over and followed the ceremonial officer's guidance. , entered Liangyi Hall from Xixu Gate.

At the top of the hall is the throne. At this moment, there are also chamberlains holding royal fans. Seeing the emperor striding over and sitting on the throne, the official of the ceremony passed the order to ascend the palace. Hundreds of officials followed the officials from the two provinces and entered the palace in an orderly manner.

At this moment, Li Shimin felt a little envious of the officials.

As the emperor, sitting on the throne and being worshiped by hundreds of officials, he had to sit upright even if his back ached. All the officials had soft cushions to sit on their knees, and no one could say anything if they relaxed a little and changed to a more comfortable posture.

After the ascension to the palace was completed, the Yulin Army entered and inspected the official talisman letters one by one. After the re-singing and inspection were correct, the court meeting officially began.

However, the first thing presented today made Li Shimin frown slightly. Someone reported that the imperial court gave a lot of preferential treatment to the imperial examination scholars in the appointment of officials.

But the rhetoric is just the same as before. The descendants of the family are all from the noble families of the Tang Dynasty and have made meritorious service to the country. Treating the imperial examinations favorably means treating the nobles harshly.

Li Shimin's expression was as calm as ever. Such remarks had been made frequently since the promotion of the civil service examination, and he had already passed the time to get angry.

Without even needing to look at him, Wei Zheng took the initiative to stand up and rebuked the former to silence him.

The matter was quickly suppressed, and Li Shimin even felt a little happy watching Wei Zheng scold people.

The next memorial is not controversial.

Li Gang, the prince's young master, was seriously ill and wanted to return home. Li Shimin issued an order to the Imperial Medical Office for diagnosis and treatment, and the prince accompanied him.

At the same time, I can't help but secretly speculate whether Chengqian's behavior recorded in later generations is also related to Li Gang's early death? But now that King Sun Yao is here, he should be able to prolong his life for a few years.

However, before Li Shimin could finish his reverie, the Minister of Civil Affairs came forward to request permission to pardon all 80,000 Turkic Han slaves as people.

This is another troublesome matter that can be traced back to the previous dynasty, because during the war in the late Sui Dynasty, the Turks went south to plunder and hijack the people several times.

Now that the Turks are defeated, these captive people are begging for their lives as if they have seen the light of day. Wei Zheng had reported this when he went to the north to deal with the Turks' surrender. However, it was extremely troublesome to compile the list. It was not until today that the captives were listed. There are 80,000 people who have been enslaved and are still alive today.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs made an impassioned speech, saying that now that the Tang Dynasty has won a great victory, he should be pardoned as a citizen of the Tang Dynasty in order to strengthen the military power.

Naturally, some people among the imperial censors rose up to object, saying that now there is another war in Tuyuhun, and the outcome is unclear. Pardoning slaves for the people is tantamount to competing with the Turks for profit. If they are dissatisfied and stir up trouble, I am afraid it will be difficult to take care of both sides.

Li Shimin sneered, do the Turks have such courage?

But he shouldn't have to worry about this matter.

Sure enough, Wei Zheng quickly got up and became impassioned again.

Wei Zheng's opinions are generally compromise, but they are:

A full redemption might cost an exorbitant price, and a full pardon might cause Monan to cause trouble. It would be better for him to go and discuss with the Turks in person.

The deeper truth is that simplicity, coupled with the perfect handling of these 80,000 Han slaves, is all Wei Zheng's previous achievements in Shushan Monan.

Li Shimin did everything he could, and even ordered additional generals. Qin Shubao, Duke of Yi State, led a part of the Beiya Imperial Army to accompany him to protect Wei Zheng.

This order made all the officials raise their eyebrows again - did they know last year that those who visited Duke Yi at that time were privately saying that they could set up a mourning hall early, but now they can even lead the army northward?

Does Imperial Physician Sun really have such a magical power? Be sure to pay a sincere visit when you have free time.

After all, doctors are by no means as simple as curing illnesses and saving people. Just like the two sons of Duke Yi are mediocre. When Qin Qiong was seriously ill, many people were already guessing how long this legacy could be preserved after his death.

As a result, now that Yiguo Gong has been treated by Dr. Sun, it seems that he can earn some more merits? This made many people unable to sit still.

After all, such thoughts can only be kept in the heart. Instead, based on the previous arguments, some people came forward and said that Li Jing needed to withdraw from the army as soon as possible to prevent danger.

Those at Shangshu talked loudly, saying that the reason why the Tang army was far away and did not know its geography was difficult to eradicate. When the Tang army retreated, it would probably lead to more violent attacks. It was better to negotiate with them while their prestige was still strong, and it was better to give up some money than waste money on the people.

No one believes such an ignorant argument. After all, debates in the DPRK often focus on back-and-forth. The true intention of such arguments may often require several mutual refutations before the true opinions are revealed.

Li Shimin braced himself and prepared for the war. After all, he seriously planned to launch a war against Tuyuhun. Therefore, starting from the official dispatch of troops in April, there were many criticisms at the court meeting.

He did understand. After all, including the capture of Jie, the Tang Dynasty had only rested for less than a year, so it could be said that it had been fighting for many years.

Li Jing's ability to go to war without any worries was mainly due to the stalemate between him and several prime ministers, but now it seems that such opposition has become more and more intense.

Du Ruhui stood up and wanted to criticize, but an unexpected accident changed the entire rhythm of the morning.

A forbidden soldier hurriedly entered through the Xixu Gate, raised a silk envelope above his head, and presented it to Li Shimin.

The officials raised their heads curiously, watching His Majesty's face change several times, and finally settled on an expression of great joy:

Qinghai Road has a great victory, and the leader of the thieves, Fu Yun, has been captured!

Open the palace door and welcome the messenger!

Play the drums and sing victory!