Chapter 961 Heirs
When the word "Duke Luo" came out of Wu Zhao's mouth, almost everyone was a little dazed, as if they saw the long river of history roaring into the hall.
In this world, some words carry extraordinary meanings because of their history.
Qin, Jin, Qi and Chu.
A first-class prince.
For the Luo family, Zhou is also an extraordinary word. People call the Luo family the Zhou clan.
Therefore, when Li Yuan conferred the title of Duke of Zhou on Luo Xuanye, and Emperor Taizong Li Shimin conferred the title of Prince of Zhou on Luo Xuanye, the ministers knew how much Luo Xuanye was valued from his titles.
Above Qin, Jin, Qi and Chu, there are two very special titles, namely Luo and Zhao.
Qin, Jin, Qi, Chu and Luo were the five major countries in the Spring and Autumn Period.
During the Zhou Dynasty, Luo was always a marquisate.
The title of Duke only appeared during the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
In earlier times, Luo was first associated with the title of Duke when it was conferred by King Xiang of Chu. Luo Ling was the only Duke of Luo.
The Mandate of Chu was brilliant but short-lived. The Han Dynasty slowly rose from the earth, and the title of Duke Zhao appeared in the world and lasted for three hundred years until the Mandate of Han fell and the entire Luo clan migrated to the land of the cold winter in the far north.
The glory of ancestors must be maintained by descendants. The titles of Qin, Jin, Qi and Chu were awarded because their descendants could no longer maintain such noble titles, but the Luo family could.
Therefore, until now, these two titles have never fallen into the hands of others.
These two titles represent endless glory for the Luo family. Perhaps everyone has thought about when these two titles will be restarted.
It will shed the dust of history and reappear in front of everyone with endless light, shining brightly again.
It will be engraved with the name of every hero throughout the ages and the name of every ancestor.
Li Shimin actually thought about whether to bestow this title on Luo Xuanye. He even hinted to Luo Xuanye, but in the end, Luo Xuanye implicitly rejected it.
Because Luo Xuanye thought that he was not worthy and qualified to resume the title. He was not the kind of patriarch who could represent the Luo family and carry on the future. He was just an ordinary and most important minister of the dynasty.
Neither his ability nor his status allow him to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.
Luo Junwei is Luo Xuanye's eldest daughter, so of course she knows about this past event. Since she knows about this, then Wu Zhao must know about it too.
Her eyes were calm, and then she looked at Wu Zhao. There was a smile in Wu Zhao's eyes, and her face was calm. She didn't seem to worry about Luo Junwei's rejection, because Wu Zhao had been thinking about it for a long time, and now was the most appropriate time.
After Wu Zhao and Luo Junwei looked at each other, they slowly sighed, "Luo.
What a noble word! The first female head of the Luo family, the husband of the Crown Princess, and the husband of the future Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Only a title like Duke of Luo can save me from having to create a new title."
When Wu Zhao said this, all the ministers in the palace had only one feeling, that is, Her Majesty the Queen Mother really had a far-sighted plan in order to make Luo Junwei accept the title of Duke of Luo.
As expected, after these words were spoken, Luo Junwei bowed and said, "I thank your majesty for your grace. May your majesty live a thousand years and live in peace and happiness."
Seeing Luo Junwei accept, Wu Zhao was very happy, a kind of happiness that even the ministers could feel, "In the years since the death of the late emperor, I have been managing state affairs, relying on the assistance of Duke Luo. This is what you deserve. Today, not only grace has been given to a loyal minister, but also the country has gained a crown princess who can inherit the country. This is a blessing. Pass on my decree, every family over the age of 60 in Chang'an will be given one pound of rice and one pound of meat, and the officials must not neglect it.
If there is something to report, then report it. If there is nothing to report, then leave the court."
What happened in the court today is so serious that its impact on the world is self-evident. Who would have the mind to deal with any affairs here? No one spoke, so the court was adjourned.
Luo Qianqiu and Taiping did not leave the palace, but followed Wu Zhao and Luo Junwei to the back hall.
Wu Zhao and Luo Junwei sat at the top, one on the left and one on the right, while Luo Qianqiu and Taiping sat side by side at the bottom. Both of them knew that Wu Zhao had something to say, so they all looked forward to listening to her teachings.
Wu Zhao looked at the perfect couple in front of her and couldn't help feeling a little envious. She and Li Zhi did have true feelings for each other at the beginning, but it was certainly not as good as Luo Qianqiu and Taiping. But she glanced at Luo Junwei again and felt secretly happy in her heart, so she stopped thinking about it.
After drinking a cup of tea, he said: "Taiping, from today on, you are no longer the princess you once were, but the future heir of the Tang Dynasty. The position of emperor is easy to say. You can inherit it after you worship the Taimiao. But your brother failed to become the emperor. You still have to go through a set of procedures before you can take over the Mandate of Heaven of the Tang Dynasty from me.
If it were in the past, you would have gone to the Su Wang Mausoleum, but now the capital of the Tang Dynasty is in Luoyang, so you can just go to the temple in Luoyang to worship. You are the daughter-in-law of the Luo family, so it shouldn't be a big problem, but I still have to advise you. "
Taiping bowed immediately upon hearing this, "Mother, I understand."
Wu Zhao nodded slightly, "You are not as stupid as your brother. I am very confident in you. Starting tomorrow, you will move into the East Palace, and then you will come to me every day to learn how to handle government affairs. Weiwei will be here too, and we will teach you together. You must learn the operation procedures of the Tang Dynasty as soon as possible.
Longevity. "
Luo Qianqiu's courtesy name was Changsheng. This name and courtesy name were quite unique. When he heard Wu Zhao calling him, he immediately clasped his fists and said, "Mother, I am here."
Wu Zhao looked at Luo Qianqiu and said, "You have learned martial arts since you were young, and your elders have taught you the art of war. I don't understand this aspect, so I won't say more.
When Taiping becomes the emperor in the future, you must assist her. Just fighting and killing will not do.
The most important things in the world are people and wealth. This is why Bang Zhou called these two parts heaven and earth.
I will give you the title of Scholar of the Hongwen Academy, and make you an official of the two ministries of heaven and earth, and assistant to the prime minister. You will go to the Zhongshumenxia to listen to government affairs and see how the prime ministers govern the country.
Don't disappoint me and your mother's expectations. You are the next generation of the Luo family's head. This noble status requires achievements that match it."
This is not only to cultivate Taiping, but also to cultivate Luo Qianqiu. Luo Qianqiu was carefully selected from the sons of the Luo family and is both civil and military.
He is almost the most talented one among the Luo family's descendants for several generations. He is the one who finally took advantage of the Luo family's decline and rose again.
The moment Luo Qianqiu knew that he was chosen to be adopted by his mother and married Princess Taiping, the position of the next generation head of the family was already added to his head.
He felt both honored and pressured.
At that time, he didn't know why he could become the head of the family by marrying Princess Taiping, and the old ancestor didn't say anything.
But it was not until this moment that he knew the reason.
It turned out that Taiping would be the future emperor. With mixed feelings, he bowed and said, "Please rest assured, mother. I will definitely assist the crown princess and will never let your hard work go to waste."
Luo Junwei smiled as she looked at the two beautiful people in front of her. "The Tang Dynasty has been relatively stable in recent years, but the future may not be stable. When your era comes, the situation will change. Both internal and external problems will become major issues that you need to solve urgently. It will not be easy."
The Tang Dynasty was established for such a long time, and it has experienced a population explosion, land annexation, official corruption, a broken military system, and a widening gap between the rich and the poor in society. Even with good ministers in the court, these things are difficult to solve and will gradually break out. It's just that the problems have not reached the point where they cannot be changed, and they are the kind of problems that can be corrected by reform.
What Wu Zhao and Luo Junwei are doing now is to leave enough money and food in the national treasury and maintain a powerful Northern Ya Imperial Guards that obey the emperor's command. As for launching a major reform now, forget it. The power of the nobles is huge now, and the court is still very wary of the princes and dukes.
Wu Zhao and Luo Junwei gave Taiping and Luo Qianqiu a general analysis of the current situation around the Tang Dynasty. The two nodded frequently after listening. Luo Qianqiu even clenched his fists. He had a premonition that he might be needed to go to war in the future.
After talking about state affairs, they started talking about family matters. Wu Zhao looked at Princess Taiping's belly and frowned slightly. "I had a child with the late emperor only a few months ago. Your brothers who are still alive all have children. You are so healthy, why don't you have a child yet? You should hurry up. A king cannot be childless. I let you inherit the throne not only because I value you, but also because I want the future emperor of the Tang Dynasty to have the blood of the Su Wang. Taiping, you have to work hard."
Taiping didn't expect her mother to say that. She blushed and said, "Mother, I have tried very hard, but..."
Luo Junwei smiled and said, "Your Majesty, don't blame Taiping. Our Luo family is blessed by heaven. With gains comes losses. We have never had many offspring, but it is not a problem to have a son or a daughter. There is no need to rush."
Wu Zhao then put away her slightly anxious mood, "The first son born in the future will be included in the Li family tree. As for the subsequent children, whether they will be Li or Luo, you two should discuss it. By that time, I don't know if I will still be alive."
As soon as Wu Zhao said this with some emotion, Taiping and Luo Qianqiu leaned over at the same time, "May your mother live a thousand years and live in peace and happiness."
Wu Zhao waved her hands in a disinterested manner, "What do you mean by thousands of years? How can a person not die? You two should leave. I will have a conversation with Wei Wei."
Taiping and Luo Qianqiu bowed together again, then walked out of the palace side by side. When they reached the outer room, the light shone on them. Taiping held his hand and said, "Husband, will the world really fall into my hands from now on?"
Luo Qianqiu exhaled lightly, "Yes, in the future you will be the emperor, the most honorable person in the world."
Taiping chuckled and said, "Then you are truly second to none."
Under one person.
Um.
Luo Qianqiu thought about the future and couldn't help but smile. Is there someone like him among the children of the Luo family?
There have never been any before, and there won’t be many in the future.
…
Although everything was calm in the palace, news was flying all over the place outside the palace. The news that Emperor Li Dan abdicated and Princess Taiping was made the Crown Princess spread throughout the capital city in just a few hours. Even the lowest-ranking peddlers in the city knew the news.
The Tang Dynasty is about to have its first female emperor!
When the scholars heard the news, they were stunned on the spot. Some of them even fainted, unable to withstand such explosive news.
When the peddlers and hawkers heard the news, their first reaction was, huh?
"Isn't the Queen of Heaven the Emperor?"
"I used to be curious about why there were two emperors in the world."
At this time, those "knowledgeable" people began to educate these "uneducated" people about the difference between the Son of Heaven and the emperor. Only at this time did many people know that it was the emperor who truly held power and possessed military and political power, and was the political leader of the country, while the Son of Heaven had the power of sacrifice.
After the death of the Son of Heaven, the Queen Mother was responsible for the sacrifices, so it can be said that the Queen Mother was the Son of Heaven, but she was not the emperor.
"Then how come it's the Queen who's in charge?"
"Well, because the emperor can't manage it, the Queen of Heaven will manage it for the time being."
"I see. Just like at home, although my father's words are final, if my grandmother speaks, my father has to listen. Isn't that the Queen Mother?"
"Yes, that's the truth. The Queen of Heaven is the Queen Mother who can offer sacrifices to the Emperor of Heaven."
The common people used their simple knowledge to understand the court's decrees, and the court usually just laughed it off for these discussions. In the Tang Dynasty, the political atmosphere was already relaxed, and the common people had more relaxed freedom of speech than ordinary officials.
Although Wu Zhao was very strict with officials, the ordinary people under her rule still lived a good life. She only liked to kill those who had the ability to threaten her, but she was very tolerant of ordinary people who posed no threat to her at all.
For ordinary people, these things are just topics of conversation after dinner, but for those in politics, the impact is so great that it cannot be described in words.
…
According to the rules, the imperial edict to enthrone the Crown Princess had to be sent to all prefectures and counties, as well as all areas within the territory of the Tang Dynasty. This news also had to be known to the vassal states deep in the mountains and forests.
Of course, it was impossible for the imperial envoys to go deep into the mountains and forests to notify each tribe one by one. These vassal tribes usually lived on their own, but when it was time to pay tribute, they would gather in one place through the tribute road, and then be led to Beijing.
This is the tributary system.
When many people mention tribute, they think that the Celestial Empire, for the sake of so-called face, would swell up its sleeves and give away a lot of wealth, but what it got in return was less than one tenth or one percent of its value.
To think this way is to really treat the smart people who designed the tribute system as fools.
Moreover, they regarded the rulers and ministers of the central dynasty as good people.
In fact, the emperor and his ministers in the central court were neither good people nor fools. There were naturally reasons why they chose to do so.
In ancient dynasties, the Celestial Empire was rich in resources, and the surrounding areas were actually also rich in resources. But for those relatively primitive tribes, such as those in the deep mountains and forests of Liaodong, and those living in the mountains, what did those resources have to do with them?
They simply do not have the productivity to transform those products into survival materials.
They were really poor and did not live in the city on weekdays. Even when they paid tribute, the court had to build a road for them. There were countless tribes living on both sides of this road. Every time they came to pay tribute, the envoys would start notifying on this road, and the tribes that received the news would start packing their luggage in large and small bags.
He looked just like a poor relative from the countryside who came to the city for refuge.
If we don't give them some money to make their lives better after they have traveled thousands of miles, what they will face next will not be poor relatives carrying large bags, but robbers with knives who come to rob them.
This robber could not steal much, but what he destroyed far exceeded what was given. The most important thing was that the court had to spend more on military expenses and lost face.
As for plowing the fields and digging holes, it's just a joke. Anyone who has been to the deep mountains and old forests will not think that this plan has any hope of success. Plowing the fields and digging holes is hopeless, but killing innocent people and claiming credit is possible.
Tribute is almost the best solution for dealing with surrounding relationships. I can beat you, but I can also let you live. Just don't make trouble and recognize me as your father. If you send me your most precious things, I will not despise them and will give you something in return. It may not be a big deal for my Celestial Empire, but it is enough for small tribes like yours with only tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people.
This is tribute.
Today, the territory of the Tang Dynasty is much larger than that of all previous dynasties. When Li Zhi died, the vassal states that came to the sacred capital Luoyang to pay their respects did not include the inner vassal states that were later enfeoffed. There were 103 outer vassal states alone.
Among these foreign vassal states, fifty-three were concentrated in the north. Among them, the Grand Protector of Anbei and the Grand Protector of Andong were the key figures in charge of this aspect. Basically, most of the foreign vassal states were summoned by them.
However, the Protectorate General of Andong was under the charge of the Duke of Liao, while the Protector General of Anbei was under the charge of the Prince of Yan. This was why the imperial court was wary of the Prince of Yan. Li Ke had been in Mobei for many years, and his ability and prestige were extremely strong and high.
This time, the imperial edict was naturally transmitted to the two major protectorates, and then spread to the vassal states by the protectorates.
After receiving the imperial edict, Luo Junjun, Duke of Liao, did not think much about it and sent it to the various countries in Liaodong.
Things were different when the imperial envoys arrived in Karakorum.
In the palace of Prince Yan.
Li Ke was not feeling well, so the prince received the imperial edict. Upon hearing this, the prince of Yan was shocked. He never expected that his cousin whom he had never met would become the crown princess. He hurried to see his father with the imperial edict.
In the bedroom, Li Ke read the imperial edict with a pale face and no expression on his face. No one knew what he was thinking. After a long time, he sighed.
The prince immediately asked, "Father, the court has appointed Princess Taiping as the Crown Princess. Should we make any response?"
Li Ke asked calmly: "What do you think should be the reaction?"
The prince said as a matter of course: "Of course we are against it. There must be many people in the world who are against it. Let's seize this opportunity and make trouble for him."
Li Ke looked at his son from head to toe, which made the prince's hair stand on end. He couldn't help but ask, "Father, is there anything I said wrong?"
Li Ke was not angry, but still said calmly: "There is nothing wrong, it will just drag our entire Yan Wang lineage into the abyss. The Queen Mother is probably waiting impatiently for you to rebel and then take you down.
Don't you see who she chose as the husband for Taiping? He is the future head of the Luo family. From beginning to end, this is a grand marriage. The Duke of Liao in Liaodong is just waiting for our Yan State to rebel and then send troops to quell it."
The prince was shocked at first, and then said unconvincedly: "I have 100,000 cavalrymen in Great Yan. Even if the Duke of Liao mobilizes all the troops of the Andong Protectorate, what do we have to fear?
We are no longer the nomadic people of the past. We in Dayan can forge our own armor, weapons, arrows, bows and crossbows. The most powerful army in the world is only in Dayan."
The more the prince spoke, the more confident he felt, his face full of pride. After so many years of development by Li Ke, the grasslands were indeed well-trained and well-fed, and had always been participating in wars. In terms of combat proficiency, they were definitely much higher than those in the Central Plains.
But Li Ke didn't think so. "We do have a strong army in Great Yan, but in ancient times, if the nomads wanted to compete with the Central Plains, they would have to control Liaodong and the Western Regions first. Only in this way can we attack at will across the vast territory without worrying about being attacked from the hinterland. Now that Liaodong and the Western Regions are not in our hands, how can we fight against the Central Plains when the strategic situation is so incorrect?
Are you expecting Zhongyuan to make a mistake?
Besides, although there has been no letter from Brother Qin Wang for three years, he is still behind me after all."
The prince couldn't listen any more, "Father, you shouldn't be so hesitant. Qin Wangbo led his army across the Ural Mountains and is no longer in the Central Plains. He only left a few people to send back news from time to time. Not to mention that he is old and can't hold the sword, just looking at the situation, there is no need for him to lead his army back to fight to the death with my Great Yan for the Central Plains."
Seeing his son's direct opposition to his idea, Li Ke finally couldn't help himself and said, "I wanted to advise you, but you are so stubborn.
Don’t you see that the imperial teacher is still sitting in Luoyang? He knew about this, but he allowed Taiping to become the crown princess, which shows that everything is under his control.
He believes that there is no need to worry about us, the vassal states.
I tell you, if you don't give up your current idea, I will never hand over this huge Yan Kingdom to you, so remember this."
The prince had never seen his father lose his temper like this before. His father was the eagle on the grassland, the most respected warrior on the grassland, the Khan among Khans, the king among kings. But he just saw a hint of fear in his father's eyes.
"Father, is that national teacher really that amazing?"
Prince of Yan Li Ke said solemnly: "People who have not seen him in person, from those rumors, just feel like reading a legend, that he is a smart and wise man, but when you really see him, see that he is extraordinary, listen to his words, and see the light that is like clouds gathering and dispersing, you will know what it means to look at the bright moon in the well and see the blue sky as a mayfly!"
After the Crown Prince left, a fierce cold light burst out in Li Ke's eyes. He did not go south for so many years because he was afraid. He still remembered that the Imperial Master patted him on the shoulder and told him to stay in Yan State.
Over the years, especially as his power grew stronger and he had now completely integrated Mobei, he sometimes missed the colorful world of the Central Plains.
There are now twelve families, or twelve tribes, in Mobei, all under his control. He can dispatch elite troops at will and each of them has his own duties. The addition of a large number of Han people has enabled this place to develop rapidly.
Here, his orders have higher priority than even the emperor.
The tribes in the northern desert only knew of the King of Yan, but not of the Son of Heaven.
But he still didn't dare to move.
He waited day and night for the news of the national teacher's death to suddenly come from Luoyang, but no, the national teacher was still alive. He was as long-lived as King Zhaosheng of the Luo family, who lived from the Warring States Period to the era of Emperor Xiaowu.
This imperial teacher had already appeared in the world during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty. Now the Sui Dynasty has fallen, and three emperors of the Tang Dynasty have died, but he is still staying in Luoyang City at ease.
After Li Ke's health deteriorated two years ago, he had a premonition that his time was up. After all, he had lived for a long time, and he had to admit that Yan State had lost the opportunity to move south.
As for his sons, Li Ke did not think they had the ability in this regard. Once he died, it would not be an easy task to simply reintegrate the grassland. After all, his sons did not have his own prestige.
Therefore, Li Ke's appeal has changed from waiting and watching to defending the northern desert and allowing the State of Yan to be passed on smoothly. Princess Taiping was made the Crown Princess, and the cooperation between the Luo and Li families will enter a new era.
Luo's will never allow anyone to disrupt this cooperation, so if anyone dares to rebel, Luo's will do its utmost to nip everything in the bud.
"Do you want to replace the prince?"
This thought came to Li Ke's mind. He had made outstanding contributions in his life and would surely leave a glorious name in the annals of history. However, in history, how many famous officials worked hard, but in the end, their reputations were ruined because of their unfilial descendants?
There are many people who work hard all their lives to make their family famous, but because their descendants are not good enough, the family is instantly destroyed in the second or third generation.
The reason why the noble families look down upon the suddenly rising powerful and wealthy is because such wealth and nobility, which relies on imperial power, is too easy to lose.
Although the noble families also rely on imperial power, their foundation is ultimately knowledge, knowledge that can be passed down.
Looking at the heroes in the Lingyan Pavilion, there are not many who are still prominent now. It is a great favor from the emperor that they can smoothly retire to the second line.
A new emperor appoints his own ministers.
This sentence is truly demonstrated vividly among the nobles who rely on military merit and imperial grace.
He didn't want himself and the entire lineage of Prince Yan to end up like that.
Since ancient times, it has been easy for clans to rise to prominence but also easy to fall into decline, and once they fall, it is difficult to recover.
Thinking of this, Li Ke felt that he could not delay any longer. This time, establishing a crown princess was a good opportunity to teach his sons a lesson, so he immediately called people and asked his sons to return to Karakorum, as he had important matters to attend to.
The palace attendants did not dare to delay. Some of the princes were not in Karakorum, but were stationed in various places. It would take some time to call them all back.
Li Ke thought about it again and wrote a letter to Li Chengqian.
(End of this chapter)
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