Chapter 978 Great Merit and Virtue

Chapter 978 Great Merit and Virtue

Because of the distance between them, and because Li Tai did not specially arrange for the envoy to return to Beijing to report the victory, when the Jinyang monarchs and ministers were greatly shocked by the Yinshan battle report, the people in Chang'an City were still unaware of it.

Of course, there are many people who have speculated about this through the dispatch of men, horses, materials and the whereabouts of Tang Gong, but at the moment this is not the focus of public opinion. The most exciting topic in today's current situation is the series of military and political reforms announced and implemented by the court since the New Year.

Any reform will definitely bring about changes in order and adjustments in interests. In this process, some people will be proud, while others will inevitably feel lonely and frustrated. A proud person may be full of ambition, or may be humble and self-restrained, while a frustrated person may be full of sorrow and resentment, or may not be alarmed by changes, all of which depend on their nature.

But there is also a group of people who are neither proud nor frustrated in this change. They are not the kind of people who are far away from the political center and cannot feel the changes in their personal circumstances. They often feel a little bit They can't find their place in the new order, such as the Yuan clan members.

In a political environment like the Western Wei Dynasty, the emperor had been reduced to a puppet from a very early age, and the clans had no power to support the royal family and revitalize the country. Once they encountered turmoil, they would often be targeted.

But in this turmoil, the Yuan clan had little sense of presence. Although he was not brutally suppressed due to the change of power in the hegemony, he also received no comfort or praise for it. Although he regained his old surname of Yuan, he was expelled from the royal title. To sum up, the Yuan clan seems to still be in a prominent position during this power change, but their actual role is insignificant.

This situation is quite happy for some members of the Yuan clan who are willing to be mediocre. In a time when the country's fortunes are declining, a plain but stable life is the best situation for them, the descendants of the fallen princes.

But some people don't think so, especially for some people who are unwilling to be lonely, regardless of honor or disgrace, this situation of being ignored by the world is itself a kind of torture.

In the spring of March, the grass grows and the orioles fly, and Lishan Mountain becomes a good place for outings and outings for the dignitaries in Chang'an City.

There are many garden villas in Lishan, and many dignitaries in Beijing are keen to build their businesses here. Jingzhongfang is cramped and noisy. Many people seek peace and quiet and even avoid living here all year round. They will only return to Chang'an when something big happens.

Among the many garden villas in Lishan, the most famous is the property of the late Wang Yuanxin of Guangling. Yuan Xin was good at gardening, and the variety of fresh fruits produced by his garden in Lishan was the best in the capital.

However, the garden property in Lishan has now become a garden villa under the name of Tang Gong Li Boshan. It is said that before his death, King Guangling personally ordered his family to donate this garden property to Tang Gong who had not yet entered into power at that time.

Although Li Tai refused to refuse at that time, after accepting this gift, he also gave a lot of compensation to the family of King Guangling. But these insiders or outsiders either didn't know about it or were not very interested in it. Now when they tell this story, they just praise King Guangling for being really smart and knowledgeable.

"When King Rong was alive in the past year, who could pick up one or two fruit stones and seedlings from his garden villa and take them out of the garden? Who would have thought that such a stingy person would be willing to regard this as a treasure of a gardening tycoon? Give it to others? What happened at that time was amazing, but looking back now, who wouldn’t marvel at King Rong’s wisdom?”

On the hillside viewing pavilion on the other side, a middle-aged man in rich clothes pointed at the blooming flowers and trees in the former villa of King Guangling from afar. Holding a cup in his other hand, he sighed: "The only people who have not withered through the winter are the pines and cypresses." Ah! You don’t need to be strong, but you need to be smart. Who said that people in the past were stingy?

Most of the dozen or so people sitting on the viewing platform were relatives of the Yuan clan. When they heard the middle-aged man make this comment, they couldn't help but sigh.

Wang Yuanxin of Guangling was an elder of the clan of the Western Wei Dynasty. He had successively held prominent positions, and was also appointed as the Zhuguo, which shows his high status in the clan and the court. But among the Yuan clan, this person's reputation is not very high.

Although he held a high position during his lifetime, he was too lazy to support the clan and was very stingy. He does not even allow others to bring out fruit seedlings from his garden, which shows his greedy and despicable nature.

The Yuan clan members present had more or less experiences of asking for help from King Guangling but being rejected. Now when they talk about this person and his story, they can't help but sigh with emotion. In the final analysis, he is still of no use to others. King Guangling is also very generous to those who can really help him!

But soon someone present sneered. It was Yuan Xiaoju, the son of the late Anchang King Yuan Zijun. Yuan Xiaoju obviously disagreed with everyone's views. After sneering twice, he said: "You can see this is common sense." Isn’t it a bit wishful thinking to be shrewd in dealing with matters that are already unusual to deal with?

Although I am not talented, if the corporal in the village cooks dogs and kills sheep to serve me, I will accept it with a smile, but I will not regard it as a favor that needs to be repaid solemnly. The Duke of Tang Dynasty is a hundred times more talented and ambitious than me. No one dares to guess what he wants. How can I bribe him with such common things? It's ridiculous to think that you can be favored and meet your relatives just because of this! "

After hearing Yuan Xiaoju's words, everyone on the stage became a little unnatural. His elder brother, the former King of Anchang and now the AD of Anchang, Xiaogui, who was also present here, frowned and said after hearing this: "It is rare for all relatives and friends to get together today. Xiaogui, if you are too drunk, please go home and rest!"

"Even if my brother forbids me from speaking, will it change the current situation? In the old days, when the country was stable and public, although there were many cases of disorderly administration and bad ethics, at least it could still be praised and praised within the human relationship, and it could be beneficial to all sects. There are also many favors, so people are harmonious and there is order in chaos."

Yuan Xiaoju had been depressed for a long time. Now that he had spoken, he couldn't help it. He ignored his brother's scolding and stopped him and continued to speak: "Tang Gong was born in a well-known family. He is a young and handsome man. Since he entered the country, he has done many things. Ke Chen. Therefore, the people of the country also have high expectations for him, hoping that he can correct the path. The late King Guangling Rong must have had this thought, so he made this generous gift and bribe... No, it should be Guangling Rong Gong. How dare a famous official lead a country to cause chaos?"

Speaking of this, Yuan Xiaoju's lips showed a hint of ridicule, and he pointed at Yuan Xin's old villa and said with disdain: "I thought that when Duke Tang entered the dynasty, he would carry forward his style, respect tradition and restore etiquette. However, what he did Since he entered the dynasty, who has been the most important person? But with the common ambition to help, is it possible that all of you here have nothing to do with the country? Granted!”

As soon as this statement came out, the faces of everyone present changed drastically, either frowning in displeasure or showing approval.

What Yuan Xiaoju said is true. Although the Yuan and Wei clans have rarely held real power since Xiaowu entered the customs, their status is very prominent.

Almost everyone who followed Xiaowu into Guan, including those from the Yuan and Wei clans who later defected to Guanxi, were granted the title of king regardless of their clan affiliation, and were treated with superior courtesy. Including Yuan Luo, who had been exiled in Nanliang, as well as Yuan Xiaoyou and Yuan Jing'an captured in various battles, they were also awarded the title of king and held an honorary idle position in the court to show their respect.

But now that Tang Gong Li Tai has entered the court, as a descendant of the Li family in Longxi, he can be said to have close family ties with the Yuan and Wei clans, so he should be more cordial and friendly to these clan members.

However, it turned out that since Tang Gong entered the dynasty, there had been many military and political reforms and personnel appointments, but only one of them involved the resettlement and treatment of clan members, and they were still forced to resign from the king's title. Instead of treating them more favorably, they became even more mean.

When Yu Wentai was in power, the Yuan family also had Yuan Xin and Yuan Zixiao as Zhuguo successively, and Yuan Yu, Yuan Zan and others served as generals.

However, since Tang Gong entered the dynasty, there have been no additions or additional awards to this. Now in the clan, only Guangping Gongzan and Yuanjian, the son of Emperor Wen, who has been demoted to Nanzheng Gong, serve as generals. Not only did the remaining people lose their titles, but also not many held court positions.

It should be noted that the title of the Western Wei Dynasty did not have an actual fiefdom, but was just an honorific title. Although the official position did not have a permanent salary, it did come with gifts of salary, materials, rice and silk. Although there are no fixed rules for these rewards and the thrift is not stable, when combined, it is also a very important source of income.

Therefore, since Tang Gong entered the dynasty, the status, honor and actual benefits of these clan nobles have all been greatly reduced. It is not accurate to say this, because the previous reform of the six-official system had eliminated the official positions of many clans, and Tang Gong just did not restore their treatment. But in the minds of some people, it is obvious that Duke Tang should pay more attention to them.

Yuan Xiaoju's remarks resonated with some of the clan members present, such as Jiangyang Yuanluo and others, who nodded repeatedly to express that since Tang Gong had no intention of restoring the rites, they could not continue to wait passively. , but should take the initiative to advise the court and boost the power of the clan, so as to play a certain role in assisting the emperor.

But not everyone agreed with this plan. Feng Yi, Wang Yuan, Jihai, Zhuzi Yuanheng and others had always had close contacts with the Li family in Longxi because of their mother Li Zhihua. When they heard Yuan Xiaoju's nonsense, they immediately stood up and left.

Others Linhuai AD Xiaoyou and Xihua AD Jing'an were all defeated in the battle with Tang Gongzong in Heluo and were captured and brought into the country.

Although they also hoped to integrate into the Kansai clan and take care of each other, when they heard that these people were planning to do something behind Tang Gong's back, they all waved their hands to express that they did not dare to participate. They repeatedly promised not to leak the secret to the outside world, and then they He hurriedly got up and left.

In fact, other clans were also hesitant about this, but when they thought that they were only fighting for their own rights within a reasonable range, rather than engaging in conspiracy and rebellion, they gradually became more angry and planned to jointly submit a letter to Tang Gong. Now before returning from patrolling the border, he asked the imperial court for several positions.

Among the people who are planning to do something, Jiangyang Yuanluo is considered the most active.

For one thing, unlike other members of the Yuan clan who have been established in Guanzhong for many years, he has more or less accumulated some property. Even if he no longer has a respected status and a prominent official position, his life can be guaranteed.

However, Yuan Luo had been living in Nanliang for many years. He was not able to return to Guanzhong until the Hou Jing Rebellion in Nanliang was pacified. Therefore, his family did not have much accumulation of property. For others, the issue of power, status and treatment was a matter of concern to him. Really the bread and butter.

Secondly, with the passage of time, royal family members in the Western Wei Dynasty also died one after another. For example, Yuan Xin and Yuan Zixiao, who were the pillars of the country before, and Yuan Yu who was married to the Li family in Longxi, died one after another. They are still alive today. The living Yuan clan members are actually lackluster in terms of bloodline and qualifications. Except for Emperor Wen Yuan Baoju and his disciples, only a few people such as Guangping Gongzan and others were relatively close by blood.

Although Yuan Luo was not well-known in the Western Wei court, he had a very rich background. His elder brother was Yuan Cha, a powerful official during the reign of Emperor Xiaoming of the Northern Wei Dynasty. When his family was in power, the Six Towns Rebellion had not yet begun, and Yuan Luo also relied on the power of his father and brother to repeatedly hold important positions inside and outside the country. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, he served as the governor of Liangzhou and stationed in Hanzhong as the Shangshu Ling.

Although he was defeated by Liang General Lan Qin in Hanzhong and surrendered to the Southern Liang, this resume was far from being comparable to those royal family members in Guanzhong who had been idle for a long time and had no experience.

Moreover, Yuan Luo felt that he had an advantage over others, that is, he had a previous relationship with Tang Gong. When he was in Southern Liang before, he was able to return to Guanzhong because of the mediation of Tang Gong, who was then the governor of Jingzhou, with Southern Liang. Because of this origin, if he represented the royal family to negotiate with Tang Gong and served as a bridge of communication between them, he would be more suitable than others.

Regardless of Yuan Luo's own thoughts, the clan members present also set a preliminary goal after discussing.

They also knew that it was unrealistic to obtain actual power in one step, so their current appeal was to restore some of the treatment during the Yuwen Tai period, to recommend a pillar of state from the clan and increase the positions of two or three generals, and then strive for some positions such as Taichang and Guanglu.

Of course, they did not dare to directly interfere with the military and political power in the hands of Tang Gong, and these ministerial positions themselves have certain attributes of the emperor's family servants, so it is natural to hand them over to the clan members. This arrangement was also made during the reign of Yuwen Tai.

After everyone agreed, they left Mount Li together and prepared to return to Chang'an to carry out this matter. On the way back, Yuan Xiaoju looked at his brother with some pride and said, "Brother, you are too cautious. You should know that nothing is inevitable and you need to strive for it. If my brothers and I just stay at home, I don't know when we can wait for the world to favor us. But now that the clan members have spoken out, even if it goes against Mr. Tang's wishes, for the sake of harmony, we must be cautious." Yuan Xiaogui was still not optimistic about this. After hearing this, he just sighed and said, "You and I are not relatives or elders in the clan. If we rashly manipulate human feelings, even if we get the support of the members, it is not gratifying. These people are willing to push you to be the leader of this matter, not because you are strong and powerful, but because they are greedy for the convenience of the uncle.

But since Tang Gong entered the country, since he did not punish my family indiscriminately because of the Zhongshan incident, he certainly would not give me too much favor, because my uncle is particularly tolerant of my brothers. I have been trying to dissuade you now. If you still want to continue to do things, you can set up your own court after returning, and you will not interfere with your honor or disgrace! "

The brothers are Yuwen Hu's uncles, and their uncle is Cui Qian, the Shangshu You Pushe who is in power. And it is precisely because of the latter relationship that Yuan Xiaoju's proposal was valued and responded to by these clans.

But Yuan Xiaoju obviously didn't think so. When he heard his brother say that, he immediately frowned and looked at Yuan Xiaogui and said, "Am I doing this just for my own honor? My brother's words are so heartless! Although Zhongshan Gong was not successful, he always treated my brother with deep affection. My close uncle is in power in the court and is in charge of the selection department. As a result, I can only make other plans to seek a career. Is this my shame?" Yuan Xiaogui saw that he could not dissuade Yuan Xiaoju who was in a state of anger, so he could only sigh helplessly, ordered the servants to stop the carriage, and went their separate ways on the way. After returning to Chang'an, these clan members gathered again to discuss, and then went home to draft memorials. They agreed to submit them to the court together the next day. They must rely on public pressure to reach a consensus as soon as possible, or at least stir up the relevant public opinion discussion in the court. Although the next day was not a court day, the chief officials of the Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel would usually be on duty in the Imperial City, accepting the ministers' memorials and suggestions and presenting them to the emperor, who would then approve them and send them to the officials for decision. Now the chief officials of the Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel, Lu Rou and Xiao Zha, were both appointed by Duke Tang, so everyone agreed to bypass these personnel procedures and present the memorials directly to the emperor in person by entering the palace for an audience.

But Jiangyang Yuan Luo had a trick. He knew that the emperor had very limited say in court affairs, and he did not dare to make any important personnel decisions behind Duke Tang's back. Such an unreasonable approach would also annoy Duke Tang, who might directly reject the relevant issues.

So he decided to follow the path of accepting suggestions from the Ministry of Personnel and submit his memorial from the Ministry of Personnel. In this way, even if Duke Tang was angered by others, he would notice his originality and recommend him to calm down the controversy.

In order to avoid other clan members, Yuan Luo chose to come to the Imperial City in advance. He had two memorials on him, one for presenting when he went to the palace with others to meet the emperor, which was just a normal greeting and had nothing to do with other things, and the other was a real memorial to the emperor that had to be delivered to the Ministry of Personnel first.

However, when Yuan Luo arrived at the Ministry of Personnel's office in the Forbidden City, the Minister of the Court, Xiao Zha, had not yet entered the office to take up his post. He could only wait in the side hall for a while, feeling anxious, worried that he would be seen by other clan members, and even dared not to go out casually.

At this moment, a burst of excited cheers suddenly came from outside. After hearing the sound, Yuan Luo immediately became curious and raised his hand to call a clerk to ask, "What's the noise outside?"

"Report to Lord Jiangyang, a great victory, a great victory! Lord Tang's army attacked the Turks, defeated the bandit Hu and killed Mugan Khan. The triumphant army has arrived in Jingzhou, and the victory report will enter the capital first!"

The clerk was just coming back from outside to inquire about the news. When he heard Yuan Luo's question, he immediately answered happily.

"Lord Tang won a great victory? Another great victory..."

When Yuan Luo heard this, he immediately stared and froze in the banquet. After a while, he suddenly slapped the table and said angrily: "Diao Nu, don't you feel that this room is cold? Quickly enter the charcoal pot to warm yourself!"

The official was stunned when he was reprimanded. He looked at the scorching sun and the flowers and trees in full bloom outside the court. Although he couldn't understand it, he could only say that the old man was afraid of the cold. A copper basin was brought out, filled with charcoal fire, and served.

When the charcoal basin was brought in, Yuan Luo waved away the people in the hall. He gathered next to the charcoal basin, tore up the memorial he was about to submit and threw it into the brazier.

Before the smoke cleared up, the waiter Xiao Qing walked in. Upon seeing this, he immediately frowned and said: "Is it possible that the waiter is stupid? Who would like to stay warm by the fire in late spring?"

After hearing this, Yuan Luo just laughed dryly, flicked the charcoal fire twice to cover up the paper ashes, and then stood up to greet Xiao Jin again.

When Xiao Qing asked why he joined the agency, he looked solemn and said in a deep voice: "Tang Gong has made great contributions to the country, but now he is only treated with an ordinary official title. It really goes against the righteousness of the country's important people! I thought about it. I was uneasy and stayed up all night. I went to the palace this morning to ask the court for a special title, to reward me as a king, and to build a family temple to honor my ancestors! I was afraid that I would be too late to speak out, so I went to discuss it with Liang Gong. "

Today is a big chapter. I wish all female book lovers a happy holiday and a happy life to all of you! ! !