It is a truth that any emperor understands that the struggle of the party will lead to the subjugation of the country; however, balancing the court and not allowing one family to dominate is also what every wise king should do... If you want balance, you must fight; struggle is the same as party struggle.
The gap between the two periods is also very small. How can we avoid slipping into party strife while maintaining balance in the court?
This is the most profound knowledge for an emperor. Few emperors in the past and present have been able to achieve it. Li Chengqian, who claimed to be of average talent, was one of the top two.
But since we are sitting in this position, how can we retreat in fear of difficulties and ignore them indifferently?
Although he did not have any ambitions to conquer the world, he could not let the evils in the court go unchecked. Emperor Taizong devoted all his efforts to the eastward expedition and emptied almost every treasury in the empire, especially in Jiangnan, which was responsible for the heavy supply of grain and supplies.
Complaints abounded. Although Goguryeo was finally destroyed against all odds and the greatest threat to the empire's northeastern frontier was eliminated, there was almost no direct material supplement. Subsequently, two consecutive rebellions destroyed the empire's "basic base" in the Guanzhong region.
The foundations were shaken, drifting, and almost on the verge of collapse. If the Shandong family had not suffered heavy losses and could not survive, and there were naval forces in the south of the Yangtze River to deter them, the empire would have fallen into civil strife, just like the end of the Sui Dynasty, when wars broke out and China was shattered.
As an emperor, he must innovate national policies, reform and strengthen himself, overcome difficulties, and face difficulties...
If a party dispute breaks out at this time and the empire is in turmoil or even the building collapses, won't Li Chengqian become Li Tang's eternal sinner?
…
Facing Li Chengqian's rebuke, Liu Ji felt helpless. He knew that Fang Jun's status in the emperor's heart was incomparable, but he never thought that his level of trust was so high.
The gaps in government affairs are always waiting for Fang Jun to further complete the path of "integrating military and political affairs" into a powerful minister...
He had no choice but to say: "Your Majesty clearly knows that the Duke of the State of Yue is naturally loyal to the country. However, if this example is set and others follow suit, won't it lead to the disintegration of the military system and sow the seeds of disaster? The land in the capital is deployed without His Majesty's decree or the order of the Military Aircraft Department.
Soldiers are absolutely undesirable."
The army is the cornerstone of the empire, but it is also a double-edged sword. If it cannot be restrained, it is very likely to transform into an uncontrollable monster. It must be bitten, otherwise if it chooses people to eat at any time, how can it be saved?
The raging military power means that the military is strong, one is declining, the other is increasing, and the civil service is naturally in decline.
Li Chengqian pondered for a moment, nodded and said: "After all, the situation this time is urgent, and there is a reason for it. I will mention this matter at the Military Aircraft Department afterwards, discuss it with all the military aircraft ministers, and make a decision."
Liu Jie was very aggrieved. This Lao Shizi's "Military Aircraft Department" was simply a ladder to steal the house. It bypassed the political hall and was directly led by the emperor and was accountable to the emperor. Even he, the Zhongshu Ling, could not participate in it, so naturally he could not control it.
It is really depressing to be in a situation where there is nothing we can do and no one can do anything.
*****
Along the bank of the river, countless wooden stakes were nailed down, and the wide stones sank to the bottom of the river. Soldiers and civilians also took local materials and transported soil, and finally blocked the breach of the river embankment, and the people on both sides of the river let out huge cheers.
Fang Jun and more than a thousand soldiers climbed out of the water. Each one of them was blue and blue from the cold, their whole bodies were stiff, and their bodies were extremely hypothermic. Even with Fang Jun's super physique, his face was blue and his lips were white, and he was shivering, let alone others.
Ma Zhou had already ordered people to build a bonfire and built a simple windproof shed under the river embankment. Wang Fangyi sent people back to the military camp to get clothes. Xingjiao Temple also sent several large pots of ginger soup. All the soldiers took off their clothes and got soaked in the shed.
He washed his body with hot water, put on dry clothes, and poured down a large bowl of hot ginger soup. The smell of the ginger water stimulated tears to flow, his breath became smooth, and the lost physical strength was restored bit by bit.
A row of Bagua stoves were built outside the shed with stones and green bricks. The wood was put into it to ignite it. A large pot was placed on top of it. Large slices of cooked fat meat were put into the pot and stir-fried until the aroma was overflowing.
Add various chopped vegetables and stir-fry, then add water, cover, and simmer over high heat.
Fang Jun put on ordinary clothes, sat on a wooden pier, drank tea, and chatted with Ma Zhou beside him.
Ma Zhou took a sip of tea and sighed: "Erlang... was a little reckless today. Although the disaster is like a fire, it is a taboo to mobilize the army to participate in disaster relief at will. Your Majesty may not say anything, but someone will inevitably grab this
A little impeachment, no matter how prosperous your holy family may be, but if water drops penetrate rocks and ropes cut wood, in the long run, there will inevitably be a gap between you and Your Majesty."
Military power is a taboo and must be placed above everything else at all times. With Fang Jun's current power and status, it is not a big deal even if he kills an important member of the court. The emperor will protect him, but he can do so without permission
The deployment of troops will inevitably make the emperor more and more jealous. It may not matter once or twice, but if things go on like this, how can it not bury the estrangement?
This kind of thing must be guarded against. Even if we have the power to mobilize troops, we should fundamentally and completely prevent it.
Fang Jun drank tea and said with a smile: "You think I don't know? No matter how serious the disaster is, it won't take long to deliver a memorial to Tai Chi Palace asking for the deployment of troops... I did it on purpose."
Ma Zhou was speechless and had nothing to say.
Since Fang Jun has known this truth for a long time but still goes his own way, either out of arrogance and ambition based on his achievements, or deliberately doing it for other reasons, his understanding of Fang Jun will certainly not be the former.
But what was Fang Jun's intention in doing this? Ma Zhou guessed Fang Jun's true intention after just thinking for a moment, but shook his head and expressed disapproval: "Is Erlang trying to defile himself by this means? The idea is
Okay, after all, your current situation can be said to be one of flowers blooming and fire cooking oil. You should be careful of floods and overflows, prosperity and decline. It is a good thing to take the initiative to keep some distance from His Majesty and let His Majesty be more distant from you. But this is
It's a bit rough, if even His Majesty can see it clearly, how can it be considered self-destruction?"
Fang Jun asked: "If even His Majesty can't see it, is it still considered self-destruction?"
Ma Zhou was stunned. He was a very smart man and he immediately understood what Fang Jun meant.
What is "self-defeat"? It is a kind of "self-denial" behavior that must be carried out in a specific situation in order to avoid the fear and scruples of certain people. However, the core of this behavior is "attitude".
The purpose is to let some scrupulous people see your true intention of "self-denial", not what you actually did. Otherwise, it is not "self-defilement", but "real defilement"...
Ma Zhou thought about it for a long time, nodded and said: "I am superficial in this matter. Erlang handled it very well and the scale was just right."
Why mobilize troops without authorization? It is to deliberately do something wrong and give His Majesty an excuse. Whether it is a verbal reprimand or any punishment measures, His Majesty can let His Majesty understand his intention to "voluntarily stigmatize", thereby eliminating the possible barriers.
This is much smarter than "real stigma"...
Ma Zhou lamented: "When it comes to understanding people's minds, I am not as good as Erlang Duo."
Fang Jun squinted at him: "Are you praising me or scolding me?"
Ma Zhou laughed and said, "You can do whatever you think. Anyway, I don't know how to read people's hearts."
Fang Jun also laughed: "Four words for you: old and cunning!"
Ma Zhou: "To each other."
"Concession, concession."
…
In the sheltered shed, Ma Zhou wrote a disaster report, detailing the cause of the flood decision, the blockage process and the resulting losses, recording everything in detail, and then transcribing it.
Two copies were signed and stamped together with Fang Jun, one was sent to the Ministry of Industry for filing, and the other was sent to Tai Chi Palace for His Majesty's royal viewing.
After the official duties were completed, the big pot of vegetables was ready to be cooked, and the rich aroma was blown by the cold wind. Fang Jun, Ma Zhou, and Wang Fangyi hid under the shed to avoid the wind. A pot was filled with stewed vegetables and large pieces of fat.
Fresh vegetables, and a jar of strong liquor that one of the soldiers got from nowhere, the three of them ate two bites of the vegetables and drank a sip of wine. They were sweating profusely in a short time under the cold wind, and the dampness and coldness in the body were eliminated.
Extremely happy.
Fang Jun took a sip of wine and sighed: "People are still a bit cheap. They spend all day pampering and eating, but they don't have a good appetite. No matter how much delicacies are placed in front of them, they can't even whet their appetite. However, if you are tired,
After a while, not only did I feel comfortable all over my body, but even this ordinary food and drink tasted so good, my appetite was whetted, it was really unreasonable."
Ma Zhou approved: "So people can't have smooth sailing. If it's too smooth, it will lead to paralysis of the mind and hard-to-fill desires. I always feel that God treats me differently, so I hope to grab more and never end. On the contrary, I encounter some setbacks from time to time.
It can make the mind calmer, be prepared for danger in times of peace, and avoid making big mistakes.”
Fang Jun smiled and clinked a drink with him. After finishing the drink, he smiled and said, "Why do you always feel that there is something in your words today?"
Ma Zhou wiped his mouth and glanced at Wang Fangyi, who was eating a lot. He knew that this was Fang Jun's confidant, so there was no need to avoid it. He said slowly: "I always feel that the matter of measuring the land in the world is a bit radical."
Fang Jun didn't answer but asked: "Do you know the purpose of measuring acres?"
Ma Zhou held the pot and poured wine into the glasses in front of the three of them, and said leisurely: "If someone else did this, I can't think of their intention, but since it's you who is doing it, then just think in the most unlikely place, and you will definitely get away from it."
The truth is not far away.”
Wang Fangyi quickly took the wine glass with both hands: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The person serving the wine was the Prime Minister of the dynasty. He was so honored that he couldn't be rude.
Ma Zhou waved his hand casually, not taking it seriously: "There is no distinction between big and small at the wine table, just do whatever you want."
Fang Jun picked up a piece of meat and chewed it in his mouth. He felt the rich aroma of the meat and knew that Ma Zhou had guessed the real purpose of measuring the acres. He was very interested and wanted to know the views of this famous historical official, so he swallowed the meat.
He took a sip of wine and said, "I'd like to hear the details."
Naturally, it was aimed at Ma Zhou’s “radical” comment.
Ma Zhou said in a deep voice: "This move is an unprecedented change. I don't know whether it is right or wrong, but I do know that this move will inevitably be opposed by the world. At that time, people will surely rise up to criticize you. It is not only you who are caught in the raging public opinion, but also Your Majesty. Can you resist it?"
Can you withstand the opposition of the whole world?"
What does it mean to "risk the world's disdain"?
This is it, and I'm afraid it will be the biggest disgrace in the world...