Chapter 949: Lord Tang of Liao
The huge team left the majestic Mount Tai. They had only walked a hundred miles when suddenly the sky and the earth shook, making people dizzy and nauseous. The shaking lasted only a dozen breaths, and the entire Fengshan team was in a panic.
"The earth dragon flips over!"
The first voice screamed, and then countless voices came. In the team of tens of thousands of people, many people were driven by fear and ran around in panic almost instantly.
Luo Xuanling and the others realized the danger almost instantly. He quickly mounted his horse and said to Luo Xuanyun, "Seventh brother, you protect His Majesty and the Queen, and I will go and appease the troops."
After saying this, without waiting for Luo Xuanyun to speak, he had already raised the big flag, holding the flag in one hand, and shouting loudly to appease the troops.
Fortunately, the army had left the area of Mount Tai, and it was not so terrifying on the flat ground. Moreover, looking back, Mount Tai did not collapse, and no one knew where the earth dragon flipped over.
This question has arisen in almost everyone's mind.
…
The villages near the sea on the Qizhou Peninsula suffered a devastating disaster today. The huge tsunami razed all the fishing villages near the sea to the ground almost in an instant. The tsunami also instantly swallowed up the Tang Dynasty warships sailing in the sea.
The Fengshan team hurried back to Luoyang in panic, and then began to send messengers to all directions to see where the big event had happened. Fortunately, there is no such thing as telepathy between heaven and earth in the world, otherwise Li Zhi would have to prepare an edict of repentance.
The envoys sent to the eastern states and the coastal states naturally did not dare to conceal such a natural disaster, not to mention that they still had to ask the imperial court for disaster relief.
But the result left all the prime ministers and Li Zhi and Wu Zhao dumbfounded.
This seemed to be a pure tsunami rather than a landslide, because no state or county showed symptoms of a landslide.
But what kind of tsunami could cause the Central Plains to shake? The shaking that day was experienced by tens of thousands of people.
When everyone in the Tianshou Hall was silent, Luo Junwei stood up and said sternly: "Although the earth dragon flip is called the earth dragon, it does not only happen on land. It is recorded in Luo's classics that the earth dragon flip can also happen in the sea. The deep sea is the land, just like the land under our feet.
It is also recorded in Luo's classics that the turning over of the earth dragons in the sea is more powerful, but generally no one knows about it because it does not affect human habitation.
This is most likely the sea dragon turning over."
Luo Junwei's words suddenly made everyone realize, but unexpectedly Luo Junwei said: "This is just my guess. It may not be in the sea. According to the original Tang envoys, there were many cases of earth dragons turning over on the three Penglai Islands. Maybe it is there."
However, the prime ministers in the palace no longer cared much about it. As long as it did not happen in the Central Plains, the problem would not be particularly big.
…
Penglai Island was in a mess, the earth was cracked, the mountains collapsed, and the rivers dried up.
"Father!"
Luo Junjun stood up from the ground with difficulty, looking at the scene of the collapsed mountain, he felt cold all over. His father, Luo Xuanxing, Duke of Liao of the Tang Dynasty, and Li Tai, Prince of Qi, were both buried under the broken mountain.
It was too horrifying. Luo Junjun had never heard of such a horrifying earth dragon turning over. Thousands of peaks collapsed, roads were cut off, and tens of thousands of troops were like paper in front of the power of heaven and earth. They were almost turned into powder in an instant.
Countless screams echoed in the valley, it was truly a hell on earth.
Powerless.
This was Luo Junjun's only consciousness. Faced with such a tragic scene, he didn't know what else to do except to escape.
The spiritual soldier helped him up, and then there was continuous shaking, the collapse of mountains and the cracking of the ground. There were aftershocks after the earthquake. The aftershocks caused by this earth-shaking earthquake were far beyond human imagination.
"Go out and report to the court."
This was the only thought in Luo Junjun's mind at the moment.
In fact, the moment Luo Xuanxing got into trouble, Luo Su, who was sitting in Chang'an, had already felt it. He immediately sent someone to send a letter to Luoyang. As for what specifically happened, he still had to wait for the final result.
Luo Junjun withdrew from Penglai to Fangzhang Island, and then immediately sent a messenger to the Central Plains to report, while he reorganized the troops in the territory to prepare for possible counterattacks from the natives. The army was destroyed in the earthquake, and the natives could not give up this good opportunity.
…
Luoyang, Tianshou Palace.
Emperor Li Zhi was half-lying on the throne quite weakly, Empress Wu Zhao was looking solemnly at the military situation in her hands, and all the prime ministers had serious expressions. This incident really caught everyone off guard.
The Eastern Expedition Army was actually destroyed in an earthquake. Although such things have happened in history, the earthquake in Guanzhong caused the three rivers to dry up and had serious consequences, it is still hard to believe that it really happened before our eyes.
Not to mention that Prince of Qi Li Tai and Duke of Liao Luo Xuanxing actually died in this natural disaster. It was simply a joke.
"My Lords, tell me what should be done about this matter. How should Qi handle the affairs of Qi?"
This matter of Qi State is very troublesome.
First of all, there were more than 30 princes, nobles and senior bureaucrats who died. All of them needed to be posthumously honored and given posthumous titles. They needed to decide what posthumous title to give them, calculate their merits, determine the posthumous honors, and inherit the titles. The six ministries would be busy next.
These final matters after death are the most important things in the world for the deceased.
Apart from these things, the most serious situation was the situation in Qi. To put it nicely, the death of King Li Tai of Qi in the army was not a big deal, but the death of Duke Luo Xuanxing of Liao in the earthquake was also very serious.
The elite troops of Liaodong and Qi died in the earthquake. It was a devastating event. The power projected by the Tang Dynasty in the entire east was reduced by 70% in an instant.
An imbalance in military power will cause a chain reaction of terror.
The resistance of the three Penglai Islands was obvious. If Luo Junjun did not escape back to the Jizi Peninsula quickly, he might die on Fangzhang Island.
After the power of the Andong Protectorate was weakened, the old Liaodong tribes on the peninsula and Silla and other places would also rebel. The Tang Dynasty has been fighting a security war in recent years.
What is even more worrying is whether Yan State will take advantage of the emptiness of Liaodong to expand its influence there and break through the barriers set up by the imperial court.
Today's Tang Empire is like a finely instrumented machine, with each link connected to another to maintain balance, all for the purpose of reducing costs. Since the Zhenguan period, the Tang Dynasty has tried its best to reduce redundant officials and soldiers. This is naturally very good for finances, but it also has disadvantages.
For example, after the current incident, the situation in the northeast of the empire has become somewhat difficult to control, causing a double crisis both politically and militarily.
Prime Minister Liu Rengui, who had always been hostile to Wu Zhao, immediately said: "Your Majesty, I think the most urgent thing is to send important officials of the court to the Andong Protectorate. Even if Fangzhang Island is lost, at least we must keep the base on the peninsula and guard against the conspiracy of certain people.
Duke of Yong, Luo Xuanling, has been a battle-hardened general since the time of the previous emperor. He can serve as the Grand Protector General, and Duke of Chen, Luo Xuanyun, can also lead the imperial guards to conquer Penglai and stabilize Qi’s national power.”
The two prime ministers that Wu Zetian relied on were transferred out directly, leaving only Luo Junwei, the prime minister who was biased towards Wu Zetian, in the government hall. The next things would be easy to handle.
After the Fengshan ceremony, Luo Junwei was immediately promoted to the third-rank prime minister of the Secretariat, and was officially appointed as prime minister.
Li Zhi hesitated after hearing this, and then turned to look at Wu Zhao, "Queen, the situation is serious now, what do you think?"
The current situation on Penglai Island and Jizi Peninsula is still unclear. It is confirmed that King Li Tai of Qi and Duke Luo Xuanxing of Liao were killed. It is also unclear which other dignitaries died there, and it is also unclear whether these people have no descendants.
It can be said that I was completely in the dark.
Wu Zhao glanced at His Highness coldly, with murderous intent in her eyes. She was never a person who could get along well with others, and she immediately shouted, "Ridiculous! Is it just a matter of Qi State? Is it worth it for the Duke of Yong and the Duke of Chen to intervene?
Is it true that there is no one else available in our Tang Dynasty except the old ministers from the Zhenguan period?
Besides, Duke Yong and Duke Chen are both getting old, and there is no major war. What is the purpose of sending the two dukes away?
During the reign of Emperor Taizong, there was a general named Xue Rengui, who made great contributions during the conquest of Liaodong. The Duke of Yong also praised his ability and was promoted to general for his meritorious service on the border over the years.
I think that Luo Junjun, the legitimate son of Luo Xuanxing, Duke of Liao, should be summoned back to Liaodong to serve as the Grand Protector of Andong, inherit the title of Duke of Liao, and guard Liaodong.
Then Xue Rengui was promoted to General of the Left Green Dragon Guard and commander-in-chief of the Qi army to quell the rebellion. As for the title of King of Qi, we should first check which descendants of King Tai of Qi are still alive.
After Xue Rengui puts down the rebellion, he will bring the heirs of the Qi princes back to Luoyang and confer titles on them. "
The political crisis is not only external, but also internal. If Luo Xuanling and Luo Xuanyun are transferred out of Luoyang, a new round of anti-Wu actions will be launched within the court.
The attacker this time was not Li Zhi, but the crown prince. These prime ministers and many ministers were all people in the crown prince's palace. Whether they were willing to admit it or not, Li Hong and Wu Zhao were now political opponents, and the mother and son had different governing philosophies.
Wu Zhao could naturally see this, so she would not allow the political power in Luoyang to be unbalanced. The role played by Luo Xuanling and Luo Xuanyun staying in Luoyang was much greater than becoming a general.
After all, the military serves politics, and politics is the core of this world.
As for why Luo Xuanling and Luo Xuanyun became Wu Zhao's support instead of the prince's, it was not even decided by Luo Xuanling and Luo Xuanyun.
Needless to say, Luo Xuanyun's relationship with the Li Tang royal family was not that close.
Although Luo Xuanling is a staunch royalist, it does not mean that he stands on Li Hong's side. In other words, the people who best represent the Li Tang royal family now may not necessarily be Li Hong and Li Zhi.
Although this sounds awkward, after all, neither the emperor nor the crown prince can represent the Li Tang royal family, which seems strange, but politically, this is actually true.
Because the interests of the country, the Li Tang royal family, and the emperor himself are actually not the same.
I am the state is a very backward and ridiculous theory.
Now it is Wu Zetian who maintains the world situation and the stability of the Tang Dynasty. As long as Wu Zetian does not plot to usurp the throne, those who oppose her are actually not caring about the world.
As the famous saying goes, "If I were not in the world, I don't know how many people would be emperors and how many would be kings."
Who maintained the framework of the Han Dynasty?
There was hegemonic politics in the Zhou Dynasty. To the emperor, the hegemon could be said to be quite presumptuous, as he almost took away the emperor's authority and power. However, what the hegemon ultimately maintained was the order of the Zhou Dynasty and the emperor's feudal system. When no one played with the hegemonic system anymore, the emperor completely stepped down from the altar, and the princes began to compete with each other for supremacy.
It's the same principle.
After Wu Zhao finished speaking, Luo Xuanling and the others immediately bowed and said, "I second the motion!"
Seeing that the attack was easily resolved by Wu Zhao, the others had nothing else to say, so they just did it according to Wu Zhao's arrangements.
After the prime ministers left, Luo Junwei did not leave, but followed Wu Zhao into the back hall. She was the prime minister and the Minister of Rites. The matters of inheritance and posthumous titles were almost all the work of her Ministry of Rites and the Lifanyuan. She would definitely be very busy in the next period of time.
After Wu Zhao poured tea for the two of them, she said softly, "Weiwei, the Ministry of Rites will be very busy in the future. In order to reduce your workload, we will discuss some of the more important matters here. For matters such as the rewards for the King of Qi and the Duke of Liao, there is no need to submit a request, get rejected, and submit again and again."
If someone else served as the Minister of Rites, it would basically take several rounds of discussions before the result could be determined, but Wu Zhao did not want Luo Junwei to waste too much time on these things.
"Regarding the posthumous title of King of Qi, he was already the King of Qi, so there is nothing to posthumously confer on him in terms of title. We can give him the title of Grand Commander of Yangzhou, Governor of Youzhou, and posthumously confer him the title of Grand Tutor. As for the posthumous title, since he died on the way to the war, and he has made considerable contributions to the development over the years, and his title is Qi, then we should give him the posthumous title of Huan."
Duke Huan of Qi was the first overlord in history. Giving Li Tai the posthumous title of King Huan of Qi now is considered to be fair to him.
The titles of Grand Commander and Governor of Youzhou were both relatively conventional titles given to the royal family.
The Taifu is the core of this, one of the Three Masters, which is a real honor. So far, no one in the Tang Dynasty has ever been awarded the title of Three Masters during his lifetime. They are all posthumously awarded, such as Luo Xuanye. Most people, even people like Wei Zheng and Fang Xuanling, are only posthumously awarded the title of Three Dukes.
"Regarding the posthumous title of the Duke of Liao, let's call it Tang. I remember that the Duke of Liao was the one who killed Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty. This posthumous title is perfect for him."
"Soup?!!"
Luo Junwei was shocked. She never expected that Wu Zhao would actually use this posthumous title.
In the Book of Posthumous Titles, there is only one explanation for Tang, which is "eliminating cruelty and getting rid of brutality." From this explanation, we can see that Tang is indeed very suitable, but the reason why "Tang" is like this is because among the four "Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang", Shang Tang's achievement was to overthrow the rule of King Jie of Xia.
"Your Majesty, in fact, if you want to commend your uncle for his merit in killing the tyrant, 'Wu' will do. 'Chujiao Jingnan', the Jingnan princes who killed Emperor Li of Han Liu Dan were all given this posthumous title."
Wu Zhao smiled slightly and said, "Weiwei, you are wrong. The Duke of Liao has never been a minister of the Sui Dynasty. He is not Jingnan."
Luo Junwei was speechless.
"As for 'Tang', this is my final verdict on the Duke of Liao. This is what the Duke of Liao deserves. Looking through the history books, there are not many people like the Duke of Liao who killed a tyrant with their own hands.
Duke Tang of Liao.
Let this unique posthumous title be passed down from generation to generation in the Luo family."
"His Majesty."
Luo Junwei stopped talking.
(End of this chapter)
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