Just as Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an had predicted, the proposal to move the capital north would certainly be met with strong opposition from the civil and military officials of the court.
For these officials, who had lived in the prosperous and economically developed city of Jinling since they entered officialdom, to move their families to northern cities that were relatively backward in terms of both economy and culture, was undoubtedly a huge challenge.
Having long been accustomed to the warmth of the Jiangnan water towns, how could they possibly endure the hardships of the cold north?
As expected, under the leadership of Minister of Rites Zhang Fu, a group of civil officials left over from the previous dynasty knelt down and pleaded with the emperor to retract his decree.
Their reasons for advising against it were remarkably consistent: the Tang Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles and was constantly at war. The cost of war alone was already causing immense suffering to the people. If they were to undertake large-scale construction projects, it would likely incite public resentment and shake the foundations of the Tang Dynasty's rule.
"Gentlemen, please be quiet and listen to what I have to say!"
Among the civil officials of the previous dynasty who opposed moving the capital north, the staunch military generals who had followed Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an in raising an army in Longcheng stood up to express their support for the move.
This person was Pang Xianchu, the Duke of Jin of the Tang Dynasty.
Pang Xianchu took a step forward and stood in the main hall of the Golden Palace. He first bowed to Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, who was seated on the dragon throne, before slowly saying, "Your Excellencies—"
"Regarding His Majesty's proposal to move the capital north, I have a different opinion, sirs. Please allow me to explain in detail:"
"Now that the Great Tang Dynasty has just been established, there are threats within the four seas, except for the north and west—that is, north of the Gobi Desert and west of the Western Regions—that frequently invade our borders and plunder our people on the frontiers."
"Throughout the entire southern region and to the east, Goguryeo, there are no formidable enemies. Furthermore, with the presence of our Great Tang Dynasty's massive naval fleet, there are no invading enemies in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, or the South China Sea."
"It is certainly good to establish the capital in Jinling, as its economy, politics, and culture are all highly developed, which can demonstrate the majesty of our Great Tang Dynasty as a celestial empire."
"but--"
Then, Pang Xianchu changed the subject and continued, "Jinling City is located south of the Yangtze River. Geographically, this increases the timeliness of the Emperor and the court's response to potential conflicts in the north."
"Take the recent invasion of the Tang Dynasty by the Arab Empire from beyond the Western Regions, for example. If the capital of our Tang Dynasty were in Chang'an or Longcheng, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin, it would greatly shorten the distance for correspondence between the Western Regions and the imperial court, allowing the court to respond immediately."
"Furthermore, in my view, Your Majesty's proposal to move the capital north also carries the intention of 'the emperor guarding the nation's gates.' Moving the capital of the Tang Dynasty north would not only allow the court's decrees to reach the northern borders in a timely manner, but would also strengthen the Central Plains dynasty's influence and control over the northern deserts and the Western Regions."
At this point, Pang Xianchu turned to Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, seated on the dragon throne, and said, word by word, "Your Majesty, I believe that while the relocation of the Tang Dynasty's capital to the north will indeed involve some large-scale construction projects that burden the people and waste resources in the short term..."
"However, from the perspective of the long-term stability and lasting legacy of the Tang Dynasty, moving the capital north was a great feat that benefited both the present and future generations."
"Your subject, Pang Xianchu, strongly advocates moving the capital northward!"
Um!
On the dragon throne, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an nodded and gave Duke of Jin Pang Xianchu an approving look.
The Emperor's attitude has already said it all.
With Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin taking the lead, other generals from the Longcheng faction and military officers from the system stepped forward to express their support for moving the capital north.
In an instant, the imperial court was divided into two factions;
The faction, represented by former court officials, advised Chen Huai'an to rescind his order and not move the capital north.
The faction represented by the military generals of Longcheng strongly advocated moving the capital north and supported the idea that the emperor should guard the country's gates.
There were also respected senior officials like Prince Zhao Liu Xinwu and Minister of War Li Jingyu, who remained silent about the matter of moving the capital.
On the dragon throne, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an naturally could not leave Prince Zhao Liu Xinwu and Minister of War Li Jingyu uninvolved, so he immediately said to the two of them: "Prince Zhao, Minister Li, what are your views on the matter of moving the capital?"
Inside the Golden Palace, the two people whose names were called exchanged a wry smile.
Finally, Li Jingyu, the Minister of War, made a gesture of invitation, indicating that Liu Xinwu, the Prince of Zhao, who held a higher position in the court than himself, should speak first.
Cough cough!
Left with no other choice, Liu Xinwu had to bite the bullet and step forward. After bowing respectfully to Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an on the dragon throne, he slowly said, "Your Majesty, esteemed officials—"
"Regarding the matter of relocating the capital, I agree with both Minister Zhang's statement and the Duke of Jin's suggestion!"
Wow!
These words caused an uproar among the civil and military officials of the court.
He thought to himself, "Isn't the King of Zhao trying to smooth things over? He doesn't want to offend either side!"
Actually, that's not the case. Liu Xinwu's true thoughts were that he was worried that moving the capital would incite public resentment during this turbulent time for the Tang Dynasty and shake the foundation of the dynasty's rule.
He also felt that what Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin said made sense. Moving the capital north and having the emperor guard the country's gate would greatly strengthen the Central Plains dynasty's rule and influence in the areas north of the Gobi Desert and west of the Western Regions, laying the foundation for the creation of the Tang Dynasty's golden age.
That's why King Zhao Liu Xinwu made that ambiguous statement in court just now.
Of course, this was also because Liu Xinwu did not know that his son-in-law Chen Huai'an was the one with the [Born to be an Emperor] system, who could activate unlimited troop production.
Otherwise, Liu Xinwu would certainly have been the first to stand up and support his son-in-law in moving the capital north, so that the Tang Dynasty could truly become a prosperous empire where all nations paid tribute.
Furthermore, Liu Ziyu, the adopted son of Zhao Wang Liu Xinwu, is currently leading the generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun in their respective garrison cities, defying imperial orders and delaying their deployment to Liaodong for rotational warfare as ordered by the Ministry of War.
This action already constitutes the act of "treason".
Liu Xinwu also keenly realized that the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, which he had actually controlled and influenced for more than thirty years, were now planning to break away from the control of the Tang Dynasty under the instigation of his rebellious son, Liu Ziyu.
This is not good news!
In these turbulent times, Liu Xinwu, already exhausted, became even more cautious in his words and actions.
In particular, Liu Xinwu became even more cautious after learning that his daughter Liu Shujun was pregnant and would give birth to children for Chen Huai'an, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, in a few months.
For Liu Xinwu at this time, seeking no merit but avoiding mistakes was his way of dealing with people in the imperial court.
Liu Xinwu did not want his words and actions to affect the important matter of his grandson inheriting the throne and being established as the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty.
So, he subconsciously started to try and smooth things over.
Li Jingyu, the Minister of War, who was standing to the side, had no choice but to step forward and defuse the situation when he heard Prince Zhao Liu Xinwu making ambiguous attempts to smooth things over. He said, "Your Majesty, I strongly advocate moving the capital north!"
hiss--
The words of Li Jingyu, the Minister of War, caused the former officials of the court to look at each other with surprise and gasp.
Although Li Jingyu was only the Minister of War, his invisible status and influence in the Tang Dynasty court were no less than that of the Grand Chancellor.
When Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an first entered Jinling City, he entrusted the reorganization of the six ministries of the new dynasty to Li Jingyu, the Minister of War.
It is no exaggeration to say that five of the six ministers of the Tang Dynasty were recommended by Li Jingyu himself.
It is easy to imagine how important Minister of War Li Jingyu was in the eyes of the former officials of the previous dynasty.
Li Jingyu continued, "Your Majesty, I believe the Duke of Jin is absolutely right. Moving the capital northward at this time would be a monumental undertaking that benefits both the present and future generations."
"As far as I know, although the court has followed His Majesty's decree and ordered a 50% reduction in taxes for the people nationwide over the next five years;"
"However, the Minister of Revenue still has enough treasury funds to support the western expedition to the Western Regions and the relocation of the capital to the north!"
After a pause, Li Jingyu continued, "As for the concerns of Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Rites and other officials regarding whether moving the capital north and undertaking large-scale construction at this time would incite public resentment, I have a different view."
"I believe that as long as the court allocates sufficient funds for the relocation of the capital, ensuring that the artisans and laborers involved in building the new capital and palace receive their due wages, it will not only avoid inciting public resentment but will also stimulate domestic economic development."
"Think about it, farmers across the country have already finished spring planting, and the subsequent crop management won't require the entire family's labor force."
"If at this time, these surplus laborers from various places could be put into the construction of the new capital's palace, wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"
"This would not only solve the problem of the imperial court moving the capital north, but also allow farmers to earn wages during their off-season and improve their family lives."
"It's simply a matter of temporarily halting the construction of the new capital palace during the autumn harvest, allowing the laborers to return home for the harvest before heading back to work!"
Finally, Li Jingyu concluded his remarks by saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that moving the capital north is entirely feasible."
"Furthermore, if the court were to decide to move the capital north at this time, it could also serve to deter the northern military commanders, demonstrating to them the Emperor and the court's determination and conviction to uphold the dynasty's unity, thus achieving the goal of subduing the enemy without a fight."
"Your subject, Li Jingyu, Minister of War, strongly advocates moving the capital northward!"
"good--"
Minister of War Li Jingyu's speech prompted Chen Huai'an, who was seated on the dragon throne, to applaud and exclaim, "Lord Li, you spoke so well!"
Chen Huai'an said loudly, "What Lord Li is considering is precisely the core purpose of my proposal today to move the capital north. It is not only to solve the problem of some arrogant and unruly generals in the north who hold sway over their troops, but also to boost the economic development of the north and improve the living standards of the people."
"Furthermore, my proposal to move the capital north is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it can be undertaken within a three- to five-year timeframe."
At this point, Chen Huai'an, seated on the dragon throne, suddenly rose and walked step by step to the edge of the Golden Palace steps. Looking down at the civil and military officials in the court, he said, word by word, "My beloved ministers—"
"I am not a tyrannical and incompetent ruler. Regarding the matter of moving the capital north, I believe everyone is well aware of the advantages and disadvantages."
"Then, let's take a vote by raising hands. Those who agree to move the capital north, please raise your hands!"
Whoosh!
Upon hearing Chen Huai'an's words, all the civil and military officials in the Golden Palace were taken aback.
Soon, some quick-thinking officials raised their arms high, while others, though a little slower to react, but adept at changing their tune, followed suit.
A moment later, in the vast Golden Palace, about 80% of the officials attending the court assembly had raised their arms.
The remaining officials who were still observing and hesitating eventually raised their hands in unison to indicate their agreement to move the capital.
In the end, only Zhang Fu, the Minister of Rites, remained, staring blankly at the arms raised everywhere in the Golden Palace.
Until Zhang Fu, the Minister of Rites, reluctantly raised his hand!
Hahaha!
Seeing this, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an on the Golden Palace finally revealed a satisfied smile and laughed heartily.
Immediately, he instructed Cai He, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who was beside him: "Eunuch Cai, you are responsible for compiling a list for me of how many civil and military officials in the court agree with and how many oppose the relocation of the capital!"
"This old servant obeys!"
As they were talking, the old eunuch Cai He hurriedly walked down the steps of the Golden Palace and went into the main hall to start making statistics in a serious manner.
In fact, anyone with discerning eyes could see at a glance that no official in this vast Golden Palace dared to oppose the matter, but the formalities still had to be followed.
A moment later, Cai He, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, hurriedly returned to Chen Huai'an's side and loudly reported, "Your Majesty, this old servant has completed the statistics—"
"All 108 officials attending the court assembly raised their hands in agreement to move the capital; not one of them objected!"
oh?
Upon hearing this, Chen Huai'an raised an eyebrow and said, "So it seems that all of you ministers support my decision to move the capital north!"
With that, Chen Huai'an said sternly, "Duke of Jin, Pang Xianchu, listen to my command—"
"Your subject is here!"
Chen Huai'an instructed, "I hereby order you to take full responsibility for the relocation of the Tang Dynasty's capital to the north. Regarding the selection of the capital, I have two suggestions: the first is Longcheng, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin, and the second is Chang'an Prefecture."
"You are fully responsible for choosing the location of the new capital!"
Pang Xianchu straightened his back and said solemnly, "Your subject obeys the decree!"
Chen Huai'an continued, "Alright, now that we've finished discussing the relocation of the capital, let's talk about the matter of some generals in the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun disobeying imperial orders and delaying the troop mobilization in Liaodong as ordered by the Ministry of War!"
"I have decided to personally travel to the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun to see what this group of arrogant and fierce generals, led by Marquis Liu Ziyu of Wuyi, are up to!"
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