Chapter 947 Tiansheng, the second saint!

The Jiaolan Palace was quite quiet. Li Zhi and Wu Zhao had been staring at each other for a long time. The couple had been quarreling for so long, and now Li Zhi felt a little embarrassed. After a while, Li Zhi saw that Wu Zhao had no intention of moving, so he could only move forward a few steps, "Mei Niang, it was your husband's fault before, it won't happen again in the future, I hope you can forgive your husband."

After saying this, Li Zhi coughed and felt dizzy, his face turned pale. The words "Mei Niang" and "husband" made Wu Zhao recall the depressing years they had experienced, and her heart softened.

Wu Zhao, who had experienced less suffering and bullying with Luo Junwei by her side, did not become a pure political machine after all, and naturally had a soft spot in her heart, "Your Majesty, you and I are husband and wife, and we are united in purpose, so we should stop being wary of each other.

Hong'er has always been in poor health, and there are wolves surrounding him outside. Will he be able to control those people in the future?

At the beginning, the previous emperor divided up all the power. The King of Yan and the King of Qin were fine, as they were all in barbaric lands. But we all know what King Tai of Qi wanted to do at the beginning. How could he get a well-established place like Qi?

Erlang, Sanlang, and Silang, there is no place to be enfeoffed in the future. I think about these issues every day, but Your Majesty regards me as an enemy and those wolves and tigers as relatives. It really makes me sad. "

Wu Zhao was 50% sincere and 50% false, which made Li Zhi feel guilty all of a sudden. However, he said with some concern: "Mei Niang, the kings are all my brothers, uncles, nephews, not wolves and tigers. Don't say that."

Wu Zhao was in disbelief when she heard this. You, the emperor of the empire, actually said such childish words, "Your Majesty, from the day we started to divide the fiefdoms, we were destined to meet each other in battle.

We must always be on guard against others.

Don’t you know that your brother, the Prince of Yan, is doing something in Mobei?

The previous Protector General of Anbei died in the chaos. If you had no doubt at all, why did you transfer the Protector General of Anxi there?

After the fourth year of Yonghui, every time the court summoned the kings, your brother the King of Qi happened to be at war. He couldn't wait to move the capital to an island far away from the Central Plains, and he also trained the navy on a large scale. He had already landed in Yingzhou, so why was he still training the navy?

Your brother, the Prince of Qin, did not send back a single letter after the third year of Yonghui. I have received news that in the fifth year of Yonghui alone, he exchanged thirteen letters with the Prince of Yan, Ke. Could it be that the letters could be delivered to Karakorum but not to Chang'an?

In the first year of Yuande, Tubo attacked Qinghai Road, resulting in the occupation of three states and thirteen counties in Qinghai Road. The six princes and kingdoms on Qinghai Road were on the front line against Tubo, but four of them were almost unscathed. You must understand the reason for this.

We have been busy with internal strife these years and have not had time to pay attention to our surroundings. Do you still think it was when the late emperor was still alive?

If we don't use thunderous means to purge these princes and dukes, a shocking change will happen in the next generation.

You treat them as brothers and relatives, but when they lead their army into Chang'an and kill our sons and daughters, you will see whether they will treat you as a relative or not!"

Wu Zhao's merciless words completely tore apart the peace that Li Zhi had always wanted to whitewash. There is one difference between the current feudal system and the past, and that is that people's hearts are different.

When the princes were enfeoffed outside, they could only develop and expand locally, and they all faced life and death crises and needed to unite to survive. The so-called the Chinese nation is as close as a thread. But now the kings have different intentions in their hearts. Everyone knows that the enfeoffment was because the court could not control such a large territory. In this case, why should I obey the orders of your court?

Li Zhi's face was pale, and he began to fall ill again. Wu Zhao sighed slightly, and quickly asked the palace maid to help Li Zhi to rest. She left the palace and went to Lingtian Pavilion. At this point, she was a little confused and didn't know what to do next.

"Master, I am now in charge of the government, the country is prosperous, and the people can live and work in peace and contentment, but I feel that there are dangers everywhere, and I am trapped both internally and externally. I don't know where to start, so please give me some advice, Master."

Wu Zhao's face was filled with deep worry. Luo Junwei came out from behind and poured tea for the two of them. After listening to what Wu Zhao said, Luo Su said, "You are right. The Tang Dynasty is indeed prosperous now. You have a good sense of smell. The Tang Dynasty is indeed in danger. The dangers in a prosperous era are not something that everyone can see."

Wu Zhao was startled and said quickly, "Please give me some advice, Imperial Master."

Luo Su took a sip of tea and then said slowly: "There are many problems, let's talk about them one by one.

It has been forty years since the establishment of the Tang Dynasty during the Wude period. This is a very long time, and the speed at which the powerful, royal relatives, and officials encroach upon ordinary people has greatly accelerated.

If the government soldiers had not gone to war in recent years and the feudal system had not been implemented, which greatly saved military costs, the country would have entered the stage of bankruptcy and ruin by now, starting with the government soldiers. Not only the government soldiers, but ordinary people would have also entered the stage of bankruptcy and ruin. In about twenty years, large numbers of refugees would begin to appear.

At the same time, grassroots officials have been replaced more than once. The problem of the powerful and wealthy being too prosperous that you mentioned before has already appeared at the grassroots level. They have begun to use various means to increase taxes. Within ten to twenty years, some people will be unable to bear it.

These are problems that are bound to arise in a dynasty over time. Military and economic collapse are difficult to avoid. It all depends on your skill.

The political crisis is even more obvious. I heard from Weiwei that you are very smart and you saw at a glance the huge threat that the feudal system posed to the central government of the Tang Dynasty. You are not the emperor and you have no feelings for the Li clan, so you want to take action against them and purge the prestige of the court.

I don't object to you doing this. Strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches is the right way to go. Maintaining the strength of the central court is essential. But I want to say something, and I hope you can take these into consideration when you wield the knife.

Last year, the court's military expenditure was about 20% of the annual revenue. You should understand how low this figure is as you have been in power for so long. The reason why the military expenditure is so low is that most of the expenses on the border are borne by the princes and nobles who are granted fiefdoms on the border.

You should be cautious with the King of Yan. You can regard the King of Yan as a northern nomadic empire established by the prince of the Li clan. It has always been a great threat to the Central Plains. You should be cautious when starting a war. Moreover, if a war breaks out between the Central Plains and the King of Yan, the Turks and Tiele people who dream of restoring their country will find an opportunity to find an opportunity, which will pose a greater threat to the Central Plains in the future. "

What Luo Su talked about were all noble and righteous things, which were somewhat in conflict with Wu Zhao's approach. Wu Zhao liked to take unconventional approaches, but she listened very seriously. After all, she was now a true ruler on par with Li Zhi.

Wu Zhao did not speak, quietly waiting for Luo Su's next suggestion, "There are only two ways to keep an empire politically stable. If it is difficult to weaken the surroundings, then strengthen yourself. Now everyone is doing some small tricks, but still submitting to the court. The reason is very simple. Although there has been a struggle, it ended quickly. The power held by the court has not changed. It just drove away Changsun's party.

It is very good that you and the emperor can reconcile. Don't waste your time on internal strife.

Since the emperor does not have the energy to handle affairs now, and you have talent in this area, and I see from your face that you have a face of longevity, then you must thoroughly establish your political prestige.

Let all the subjects know that the emperor's health is good or bad, and it will not affect the future of the empire. It is crucial to have legitimacy. You are now ruling from behind the curtain, which is not enough. You must step forward and not let people think that you are issuing orders by borrowing the emperor's authority. Instead, you must let everyone know that this is your will.

We should start by changing the reign title. Yuande can be abolished and Tiansheng, which means the second saint, can be used to tell everyone that the Tang Dynasty is now ruled by the two saints.

Afterwards, your status will be elevated in terms of various etiquette and other aspects. Although you are the queen now, your status is still more than half a level lower than that of the emperor.

Originally, the empress was paired with the emperor, and was half a head shorter than the emperor. Later, the emperor was half a head shorter than the emperor, which made the title of empress sound not impressive enough. Changing it to "Queen of Heaven" and adding the word "Heaven" to it can make people feel awe inside and outside, which is conducive to enhancing your political prestige. "

Wu Zhao's eyes sparkled as she listened. She and Li Zhi both had an artist's heart and liked to change the year name and the names of various official positions. Now what Luo Su said made her feel very advanced.

"Although you are not a king, you are not much different from a king now. You must learn to strengthen your rule by increasing your sanctity. I have given you an example. You should be able to draw inferences from it and know how to do it."

Wu Zhao smiled happily and said, "Don't worry, Imperial Master. I know that when Imperial Master and the late Emperor divided the princes and dukes, I wonder what Imperial Master thinks of their future?"

Luo Su knew that she was asking if she would stop him if she used some cruel methods to deal with those princes and nobles. Luo Su simply shook his head and said, "The fiefdom is not a talisman. If it were me, I would have abolished the fiefdoms of those princes and nobles in Qinghai Road, demoted them to commoners, or even brought them back to Chang'an and beheaded them. They are still alive now because the emperor and you are too gentle.

The purpose of enfeoffment is to let them do things. Those who cannot do their job, or even bite back, should be allowed to die. "

Wu Zhao was immediately delighted when she heard this. "With the words of the Imperial Master, I can let go and do it. I don't need to be timid anymore."

These words were somewhat murderous. She had long been unhappy with those Li clan members, especially those who relied on their connections outside. For example, Li Tai had two illegitimate sons who did not serve as officials in Qi, but in the Central Plains. There were many such Li clan members, and they were the main force opposing her in the court.

Wu Zhao believed that this was a typical case of collusion between internal and external forces. If one put aside the identities of clan relatives, this was a case of inner court officials colluding with vassal kings guarding the frontiers, which was a way to seek death no matter which dynasty it was.

Seeing this, Luo Junwei spoke with some concern: "Empress, the prime ministers of the outer court who supported you in the past have either died of old age or been demoted. The rest are no longer suitable. Your voice in the outer court has been reduced. This is very dangerous. You must replenish your power in the outer court as soon as possible. Only by combining the inner and outer courts can you stabilize your rule."

When Luo Junwei mentioned this, Wu Zhao also felt a little headache. Her situation was special, and there were not many forces that could support her, especially the power of her relatives. She had a very bad relationship with the Wu family. Her half-brothers were basically exiled to death by her for revenge. Helan Minzhi on her sister's side was also useless and did not agree with her. Yang Shi looked down on her at all. Thinking of this, she hesitated and said, "It seems that I can only call my nephews back to Chang'an."

Luo Junwei immediately said, "Those people are the sons of your enemies, and as you know, they are all useless. It would be better to call back your niece and her husband instead of them. At least my Luo family's disciples are quite capable and can help you."

Luo Junwei was just complaining casually, but it made Wu Zhao's eyes light up. She stared at Luo Junwei with sparkling eyes, "Weiwei, you are right. Why didn't I think of it before?"

Huh?

Luo Junwei was a little confused. "Your nephew's son-in-law hasn't even been crowned yet. Even if he is promoted exceptionally, it will be difficult for him to be promoted to a high position."

Wu Zhao was already excited. The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was appropriate. She squinted her eyes and smiled, "Weiwei, just wait for my surprise."

…

In the Taiji Hall, when the prime ministers walked into the hall, they were all shocked by the layout of the hall. In the past, the emperor sat on the throne at the top and the empress listened to government affairs behind a curtain, but today there was not even a curtain.

There was only a larger throne there, and the queen sat on it with the emperor in a dignified manner. She was wearing gorgeous queen's clothes, looking magnificent and wealthy.

Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Liu Rengui immediately shouted, "How can the Queen sit on the throne with the Emperor? Isn't this reversing the order of heaven and earth?"

Wu Zhao didn't even blink, and Li Zhi comforted her, "The Queen knows government affairs. I'm not in good health. This way you can give me feedback on matters of your beloved ministers more quickly. For the sake of state affairs, you don't have to worry about it."

Wu Zhao seemed to have not heard these words, and her expression remained unchanged. Liu Rengui wanted to say something else, but was stopped by his friend, "Forget it, it's not a big deal. Have you forgotten the rumors a few days ago?"

Liu Rengui was immediately startled, gritted his teeth, and finally sat down angrily.

Seeing the storm calmed down, all the prime ministers breathed a sigh of relief. Although there were almost no prime ministers standing on Wu Zetian's side in the government hall for various reasons, the power of Wu Zetian after years of being in power still made people feel a little breathless.

At the beginning of the meeting, Wu Zetian threw out a big news that shocked everyone. "Duke Ying passed away. Of the three ministers of the previous emperor, only Duke Yong is left. During the Yonghui period, Duke Yong was stationed in Annan as the Grand Protectorate. After several years, I think Duke Yong should be summoned back to the capital to serve as Shangshu Zuo Pushe. What do you think?"

Call back Duke Yong?

Everyone turned their eyes to Li Zhi at the same time. When Changsun Wuji was exiled, Duke of Yong Luo Xuanling followed him out of the town. Everyone knew that this was because Luo Xuanling pleaded for Changsun Wuji.

Now the Queen wants to recall Duke Yong. What does the Emperor think?

Li Zhi smiled bitterly and said, "What can I think? Do I still have the final say on things now?"

He smiled slightly and said, "What the Queen said is very true. I haven't seen Duke Yong for many years and I miss him very much."

This matter was quickly passed unanimously. Anyone who dared to stop Duke Yong Luo Xuanling from returning would be seeking death.

But everyone, including Li Zhi, was wondering why the Queen wanted to call back Duke Yong?

Duke Yong was a loyal minister of the late emperor, so it is impossible for him to turn to the Queen. Even if he was recalled, he could not provide any help to the Queen. How could a scheming, ruthless woman like her do such a thankless task?

Wu Zhao spoke calmly and said, "Since the Zhenguan period, when a general from outside the city made meritorious service, he would be sent to the three ministries. This is what is called being a general and becoming a prime minister. Duke of Chen Luo Xuanyun has served as the Grand Protector of Anxi and then the Grand Protector of Anbei. He has made many contributions to the borders of the Tang Dynasty. Since the Yonghui period, no one has surpassed him. He should be in charge of the imperial palace and be allowed to enter and leave the three ministries. What do you think?"

Duke of Chen?

A rather unfamiliar name, he had not been in Chang'an since the Zhenguan period. No one would have thought that he would one day enter the three ministries. Then the prime ministers remembered that he seemed to be the queen's niece, married to the son of the Duke of Chen.

Fortunately, Li Zhi's dirty thoughts were only known to a few people. Even so, Li Zhi was a little uneasy now, especially when Wu Zetian asked him, "What does the emperor think? Why not say it directly in front of you?"

Li Zhi laughed twice and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "I don't have any opinion. Duke Chen has made great contributions and it is right for him to be in the three ministries. I think we can let Duke Chen take charge of the palace and then give him the third rank of the Secretariat to show his nobility."

The emperor's rather strange behavior made the prime ministers who originally wanted to oppose hesitate. There seemed to be a story behind this. The emperor was feeling guilty about something. Just because of this hesitation, they could no longer say what they wanted to oppose.

However, Luo Xuanyun had always been a military general, and was only a third-rank official in the Secretariat. He did not handle the specific affairs of the three provinces and six ministries, so the prime ministers all thought that it was not a big problem.

Wu Zhao sneered in her heart. She would put a few nails in your way first, and then you would know why the flowers are so red. She stood up from the throne and said with emotion: "The Tang Dynasty has been prosperous since the Zhenguan period, but it has never been enthroned. I think that now that the Tang Dynasty has not had a war for more than ten years, it is a prosperous time. It is time to hold an enthronement ceremony and worship the gods of heaven, earth, mountains and rivers, so that the gods of heaven and earth will know the achievements of the Tang Dynasty."

When she said this, her voice was so loud that it even echoed in the hall. Everyone was stunned, but Li Zhi stood up in an instant. All of a sudden, he felt that his body and mind were no longer tired. After all, he was going to be enthroned, so his identity must be fine.

No one expected that Wu Zetian would bring up the Fengshan issue at this time. Hadn't she always been competing for power with the emperor?

Fengshan would increase the emperor's prestige, but this was not Wu Zhao's style. Today, everything Wu Zhao did was unexpected. Even Li Zhi was quite surprised. "Queen, I really don't know what to say."

Wu Zhao said seriously, "The feudal system began in the last years of the Zhenguan reign. Since ancient times, feudal systems have always been difficult to eliminate. Once the imperial court is weak, chaos will break out. You are familiar with history books and should know this. However, all the princes were conferred titles by the previous emperor and the imperial teacher, and they are relatives of the royal family, so you should not doubt them.

I am worried about this, so I want to strengthen the center and bring peace to the four directions, that's all."

Wu Zhao's noble character and integrity are truly impressive. Li Zhi and even the prime ministers had to admit that what Wu Zhao did were truly amazing.

Wu Zhao took in everyone's expressions and was very proud. Smile now, I will make you cry later. "The Fengshan ceremony is of great importance. It has been too long since the last time the emperor performed the Fengshan ceremony. The rituals are not complete. I have found a good candidate who can be the host of this Fengshan ceremony."

Li Zhi asked curiously, "Who is it?"

Wu Zhao smiled and said, "Princess Anle Luo Junwei is the eldest daughter of Prince Wucheng of Zhou and Princess Pingyang Zhao. There is no one more noble than the princess in the clan. The princess has been well-read since she was a child. I believe you all know her literary talent. Shangguan Aiqing is a scholar and should know it best. The late emperor appointed the princess as a female historian in the palace for more than ten years, and there has been no mistakes. You and your majesty should be relieved to hand this matter over to the princess."

A completely impeccable candidate. Wu Zhao has never been so happy as she is today. The feeling of recommending a person who has no problems from qualifications to abilities is really great. This is the feeling of having the overall situation in your hands.

"Since all the ministers have no objection, then Princess Anle will be appointed as the Minister of Rites and the Chief Administrator of Fengshan Ceremony."

Minister of Rites?

The Minister of Rites objected immediately, but he probably didn't react and said directly: "Princess Anle is a woman, how can she enter the government office?"

Wu Zhao was angry and wanted to laugh when she heard this. She was angry at this guy's rudeness to Luo Junwei, but also felt that this guy was too stupid, "A woman?

Princess Anle's mother, Princess Pingyang Zhao, had served as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Minister of the Central Secretariat for ten years, and she handled all affairs in an orderly manner.

If you have the guts, go to Princess Pingyang Zhao’s tomb and say this to a woman and see what the outcome will be.

Besides, I know both the princess and you. As for your ability, you are not even as good as the princess's clothes. It is shameful for a frog in a well to judge the moon in the sky. If I were you, I would resign right now. How can I have the dignity to sit in this palace with dignity? "

Wu Zhao's words were not just empty talk. Her goal was naturally not to make Luo Junwei merely serve as an assistant minister of rites. Her real purpose was to make Luo Junwei an assistant minister of rites first, and then, through the merits of Fengshan, promote him to the position of Minister of rites, and add the third rank of Zhongshu Menxia, ​​thus officially becoming the prime minister.

After taking control of the Ministry of Rites, she can lead a series of ritual reforms. Luo Junwei is her real one. She is not limited to making Luo Junwei the prime minister. She wants to make Luo Junwei a real prime minister, the kind who has a biography in history books.

"Queen, how can you insult a minister of state in court like this?"

"Prime Minister, how can you insult the royal family and look down on a talented and famous noblewoman in court?"

Wu Zhao's tit-for-tat was filled with coldness. The palace suddenly became quiet. Most people felt uneasy. The Queen was a little different and more difficult to deal with than before.

Li Zhi saw the cold atmosphere in the palace and tried to smooth things over, but was suppressed by Wu Zhao's eyes. Seeing that Wu Zhao's eyes were already flashing with murderous intent, the Minister of Rites did not dare to confront him anymore. He had just said it casually, and never expected that it would almost cause a disaster that killed him. It was really too embarrassing. "Your Majesty, Queen, I have spoken out of turn. I know my crime. Please allow me to retire."

He took off the crown and placed it on the ground, then he prostrated himself and spoke, his tone quite desolate. Before Li Zhi could say anything, Wu Zhao responded, "Alright, I will retire from office today."

A third-rank minister was dismissed because of just one sentence. This is the imperial power, the imperial power in the hands of Wu Zetian. Seeing this scene, the other prime ministers all felt a sense of crisis. This is really a disaster from the mouth. The real trouble with this matter is that the Minister of Rites resigned voluntarily because he felt it was too shameful, and he was not forced by Empress Wu Zetian. This made them unable to open their mouths to beg for mercy.

The meeting ended in this atmosphere. Li Zhi recalled today's meeting and found that the result was not bad. This was also the fundamental reason why he had not broken off relations with Wu Zetian.

Although Wu Zhao sidelined him, apart from this, everything she did was very good, and she handled the affairs of the Tang Dynasty in an orderly manner.

Wu Zhao liked power, but she could not naturally and legally possess power like Emperor Li Zhi or Crown Prince Li Hong, so she had to use various means to seize power.

If no one opposed her, Wu Zhao, who focused all her energy on state affairs, would have been extremely capable.

"Fengshan."

Li Zhi's sick body couldn't help but straighten up, with endless light in his eyes. His father probably felt regretful that he couldn't be enthroned, and he would never let himself have this regret.

…

"Fengshan?"

Since that day in Lingtian Pavilion, Luo Junwei had been waiting for the surprise that Wu Zhao had mentioned. When the surprise was really placed in front of her, she was still a little shocked that such a grand event of the dynasty was completely handed over to her.

"And the old fellow, the Minister of Rites, has left. Now, Weiwei, you are the Minister of Rites.

You are the third woman to hold a high-ranking official position in the court after Princess Pingyang Zhao and Madam Xuan Jing."

Wu Zhao's face was full of pride and pride. Li Xiuning didn't mention it, but Luo Xuanjing had served in Jiangnan Road and Hongwenguan, and was promoted to Kaifu Yitong Sansi, all of which were high-ranking official positions.

Luo Junwei is now a Shangshu of the third rank, and the next step is prime minister. And right now there is the Fengshan ceremony, and once this is over, she will become prime minister. Her father, mother, and daughter all serve as prime ministers. This will be recorded in history books and will be a good story that will be passed down through the ages.

Wu Zhao's face was full of expressions like "Praise me now! The surprise I gave you is great!", which made Luo Junwei couldn't help laughing and was very moved. In fact, she would also help Wu Zhao by staying in the palace, but Wu Zhao took great pains to let her enter the outer court, which was different.

"Thank you Queen, you are so kind to me."

Luo Junwei said softly, just like the clouds drifting away in the sky. Wu Zhao enjoyed it very much and lay directly on Luo Junwei's legs, feeling very comfortable.

(End of this chapter)