Chapter 1412: The emperor is critically ill

Chapter 1412: The emperor is critically ill

  Chapter 1412 The emperor is critically ill

  Luoyang.

  The prime ministers came out of the Xuanzheng Hall and stood at the entrance of the hall, all with expressionless faces.

   "Mr. Lai, you are the order of Zhongshu, and the Zuo Tianzi is in charge of the government. In this situation, what should you do? Can you send someone to Luzon to ask the grand master to return to the court to preside over the overall situation?"

   The person who spoke was Xu Yushi, the third member of the same Zhongshu sect and the servant of Zhongshu. He said in front of the prime minister that he invited the grand master to take charge of the overall situation, which was a bit disrespectful to the official.

   But at this time, Lai Ji doesn't care about this anymore.

  In fact, Laiji is also considering this issue at this time.

Shangshu Youpushe, and Jia Runfu, the third rank of the same Zhongshumen, shook their heads, "Saburo can't return to the court, and it's useless to send someone there. In the current situation, I think it's better to ask the Queen Mother to listen to the government behind the curtain. I hope Shenggong is safe and healthy. "

   Several prime ministers could not help but sigh.

  The Zhengdan Dynasty Meeting in the second year of Longshuo just passed, and everything went smoothly. Even last year's Western Expedition was fought very well under the command of Su Dingfang, Qin Jun, Xue Rengui, and Xiao Siye.

Qin Jun was even victorious in several battles, beheading more than 100,000 enemy heads successively. Tuqishi and Ge Luolu, two powerful western Turkic troops, were severely injured by this, and Rushu Nishi even directly asked Tang Jun for help. surrender.

Tuqishi used to take advantage of the death of the two Khans of the Western Turks to expand rapidly, recruiting tribes and recruiting troops. At one time, he set up 20 governors, each with 7,000 soldiers. The town is Da Ya, and Yili's Gongyue City is Xiao Ya.

  He even sent envoys to the Anxi Tang Army to ask the court to confer him the Great Khan of the Ten Surnames and the Protector of Mengchi, and also asked the court to confer him the title of Duke of Xihe County.

But Qin Jun directly beheaded more than 40,000 fine cavalry, and Wuzhile had to flee everywhere. It turned out that the five crossbows controlled by Ashina, who was recruited by him, lost all tribes and other tribes, and there were many directly No longer listening to his orders, Rushu Nishi ran directly to surrender to the Tang army.

   Of the twenty governors, less than half of them are still listening to his orders.

Under the two-way attack of Qin Jun and Su Dingfang, the Geluolu people suffered even worse losses, losing more than 60,000 people. The tribes to the east of Jinshan also suffered from Shi Liheli, the governor of the Northern Metropolitan Government of Datang Town, led by Tie Le and Qi Qi. When Bi and other tribes attacked, the beaten cattle and sheep were lost, and the women and children ran away.

  These frequent good news made the imperial court very satisfied.

However, after Wang Xuance was promoted to be in charge of the Privy Council, he led his troops across the Montenegro to destroy the three kingdoms of Brahmans, Arakan, and Brahmins. From Yongchang Lishui, across the Montenegro, to the west bank of the Tibetan River, a large area of ​​land , have become the new conquests of the Tang Dynasty.

  The imperial court's Xichang, Subi, and Tubo all had outlets to the sea.

  Although the newly conquered three kingdoms have not yet fully controlled and occupied, their kings have all been defeated, the kings have been captured, and the upper-class nobles and monks have surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. The next step is to slowly stabilize it.

  The imperial court can already spare more power to transfer to the Western Regions to win this Western Expedition.

  The Privy Council mobilized troops from all walks of life to bring together elite soldiers and generals. Years ago, 300,000 elite soldiers were deployed to the front lines of the Western Regions, and countless military supplies were continuously transported on the road.

  Although the front line is still facing each other, Qin Jun and Su Dingfang's report to the court also made it very clear that the situation is constantly tilting in a direction that is beneficial to Datang.

Qin Huaidao, the governor of the Northern Court and the envoy of the Qing Navy, attacked the Ge Luolu people in the snowstorm under the Jinshan Mountain a few years ago, and beheaded thousands of people in Ge Luolu's tooth tent. The area around the Zhanhe River (Irtysh River) has gone. In the cold winter wind, countless Geluolu people braved the wind and snow and were forced to leave the winter pastures. Along the way, countless cattle and sheep froze to death, singing sad songs in grief. , Walking all the way and crying once, turning back while walking, but never daring to stay at the foot of Jinshan anymore.

  Qin Huaidao, the newly-appointed governor of Beiting and the envoy of the Qing Navy, led the elite light cavalry, appearing like ghosts and ghosts. Even in snowy weather, he would appear in the Ge Luolu people's winter pasture at any time. Every time he appeared, he would show no mercy.

They will kill all the tribal men who are taller than Hengdao, and then they will not let go of their cattle and sheep. The remaining tribal women and children will either follow them back to Qinghai Haizhen or Tingzhou, or they can only live in the vast In the sea of ​​snow, it lives and dies on its own. But without cattle and sheep, without milk, without tents, they couldn't survive this winter at all.

  The Ge Luolu people who have not been attacked can only migrate to the northwest with their whole family, and go further north along the Zhanxi River, regardless of the ice and snow.

   Jinshan no longer has their foothold.

  In another direction of the Western Regions.

Sima of the Governor's Mansion of Anxi and Qin Shandao, an envoy of the Anxi Army, led 10,000 riders. After more than 100 days of trekking and marching, they crossed Kunlun and Congling Mountains, and raided Pantuo Kingdom on the roof of the world. The mountain is dangerous, and in the first battle, he seized its gateway, Princess Fort, and then took advantage of the victory to kill the king's capital, Stone City.

  The royal city was empty, with only a thousand guards. King Gesha was frightened and fled with the royal family and nobles overnight. When Qin Gui arrived with his troops, there was no one in the city.

  The king city was captured without bloodshed, and Qin Gui decided to split up with Wang Xiaojie and Li Xiubing to pursue it in three ways.

Then King Pantuo staged a ridiculous fleeing drama. They fled in front, and the Tang army chased after them. The king kept abandoning the city and fled. escape.

Of the Pantuo King City and the twelve important castles, only Princess Castle, the first national gate, resisted, and the other twelve cities had no resistance. More than half were empty cities, and the people in other cities really fled. He didn't move anymore, and simply stayed behind in the icy cold wind.

  As soon as Tang Jun arrived, he didn't resist at all, and directly raised the white flag to surrender, and even took out some wine and meat to welcome Tang Jun.

  The king took a group of nobles and finally gave up the country. They directly crossed Tanjuling and fled into Xiaobolu Kingdom, where they became kings in exile.

  Qin Gui finally left Wang Xiaojie to lead 500 people to guard Stone City, and was responsible for collecting food and grass. After stabilizing the Pantuo Kingdom, he and Li Xiu led more than 8,000 people to continue southward.

  After accepting the exiled troops led by King Pantuo, King Bolu immediately sent troops to strengthen the defense of Tanjuling, the gate to the north.

  Tanju Ridge is a famous steep mountain pass in Daxue Mountain (Hindu Kush Mountain), and the lower ridge is Anuyue Castle, which is heavily defended by Xiaobolu.

  When you reach the mountain pass, you must go up the glacier. The length of the glacier is more than 20 miles, and the cracks in the glacier are like a net, and there are traps everywhere.

At this time, Xiao Bolu stationed a thousand soldiers in the castle of Anuyue, and more than ten miles south of the castle, because of the danger of the mountain, he stationed nearly ten thousand reinforcements, including the king who fled from Pantuo Kingdom and several thousand people. .

Facing this natural danger and the heavily guarded Bolu people, Qin Gui, after analyzing the situation, did not heed the suggestions of some soldiers to stop advancing, or simply retreat to Pantuo Castle to rest for the time being, nor did he agree with what Li Xiu said. Said to divide the troops to find other river valley roads, bypassing the proposal of Tanju Ridge.

  He first sent people to shoot books under the fort, and asked the Xiaobolu people to hand over King Pantuo and others, and then asked them to surrender and return to Datang.

  Xiao Bolu people naturally would not agree.

Qin Gui sent people to shoot letters to persuade him to surrender every day. After a few days, he pretended to withdraw his troops, pulled out his camp and retreated, but led his troops to hide in a valley. He retreated, and sent some elite cavalry behind to intercept the scout Qingqi who strangled the little Bolu people, preventing them from approaching to find out the truth.

  Xiao Bolu really thought that the Tang army would just retreat.

   Gradually relax.

Qin Gui had been lying in ambush in the valley for more than ten days, and then on a snowy morning, he suddenly led his troops to kill Tanju Ridge. They haven't found it yet.

  Qin Gui personally directed the mountaineering and attacking the city, and the little Bolu people were caught off guard. They didn't expect that the Tang army not only didn't leave, but could attack the city in such a ghostly weather.

Anximo's sword army made great achievements again, slashing all the way up the mountain. There were only a thousand defenders in the castle, and they couldn't support such a fierce offensive. At this time, Xiao Bolu's reinforcement army was still stationed at the foot of the mountain fifteen miles south of the city. In the snowstorm all over the sky, I don't know the situation here.

   When they finally found out and tried to come for reinforcements, Li Xiu led the cavalry to ambush halfway.

  As soon as the battle was fought, the Panduo people who came to reinforce them ran away first. They shouted while running, which weakened the morale of Xiao Bolu's army.

  The morale of the Bolu reinforcements immediately collapsed. Li Xiu took the opportunity to cover up the cavalry and killed more than a thousand ranks. The rest scattered and fled. Only one third of the troops fled back to the camp below the mountain.

  Anyuyue City, which had no reinforcements, only lasted until noon before being killed by the Tang army, and the remaining defenders surrendered directly. After taking down the castle, Qin Gui and Li Xiu returned to their horses and shot towards the camp in the south of the city. At this time, there were less than 3,000 people in the camp. Finally, under Qin Gui's siege and persuasion, Sunaris, the little Bolu king, had to leave the camp. surrender.

  King Pantuo, who fled all the way, could only surrender.

  After the king surrendered, the defenders of the other cities of Xiaobolu also surrendered to the Tang army under the king's order.

  Qin Gui relied on his astonishing record of winning consecutive battles and destroying the two countries in two wars. King Dabolu was so frightened that he had no choice but to send envoys to Tangying to beg for surrender.

  Qin Gui then led his troops into the Dabolu Kingdom, and entered the Dabolu King City without bloodshed.

  The small countries on the Congling Plateau were greatly shaken, and they all asked to surrender in great panic, so Qin Yu occupied Humi Country and Shini Country without bloodshed.

  Crossing the Congling Ridge, crossing the Daxue Mountain, exiting the Wakhan Corridor, and entering the city of Segashen, the capital of the Humi Kingdom, on the upper reaches of the Zhenzhu River west of Tocharo and on the north bank of the Michuan River.

  The flag of Sun, Moon, Star and Three Stars of the Tang Dynasty was flying here. When the news came out, the kingdoms of Tocharia and Hezhong were shaken. Hearing the news, Tucharo Yehu hurriedly withdrew his troops from Talas City and Dawanjun Town to defend.

  The good news came back to the imperial court, and even the emperor was very happy. He specially ordered to add three hundred households to Qin Gui, and gave a world title to the governor, and rewarded one of his sons with the title of Marquis of San.

  The happy emperor even started reforming the official system with the prime ministers of the two governments. Zhongshu Province was renamed Dongtai, Menxia Province was renamed Xitai, and Shangshu Province was renamed Zhongtai.

  Zhongshu Ling was renamed Youxiang, Shizhong was renamed Zuoxiang, Left and Right Servant was renamed Kuangzheng.

  The privy envoy is called ruling, the deputy envoy is called participating in politics, and the transfer envoy is called minister.

   It is also determined that the right minister of the Zhengshitang shall be the prime minister, and the left minister shall be the second minister. The rest who entered the political affairs hall with the title of the third rank under the Tongzhongshu sect were the deputy prime ministers.

  The right prime minister is in power.

  Change Yushitai to Xiantai, Secretary Supervisor to Lantai, etc.

  The redesignation of the names of Baiguan is not only a change of name, but the biggest change is to confirm the original system of the four powers of Zhengshitang, Privy Council, Transit Department, and Yushitai.

  But at the same time, the original group minister system in the Zhengshitang was changed to a dual-phase system in which the right minister is the prime minister and the left minister is the assistant.

  They no longer have the power to govern.

  The Zhengshitang is still the decision-making center of the administration, and the prime ministers are still the decision-makers, but the decision-makers are divided into the chief, assistant, and deputy, and the decision-making power of the deputy prime ministers is reduced.

   This change is also because Qin Lang returned to the emperor when he left, but the emperor was young, had never been a prince before, had no systematic study of government affairs, and now he could not directly preside over military affairs, so he still had to rely on the prime ministers.

In the past, when Li Shimin started to engage in group ministers, there was no distinction between the principal and the deputy, because he was the one who made the final decision, so the prime minister did not distinguish between the principal and the deputy, and always made suggestions when making decisions. Now the emperor cannot govern in person, of course he has to A prime minister instead of making decisions, if it is a group of prime ministers who control the wheel and govern affairs, there are still some shortcomings in this aspect.

  The new official system has just been drafted and promulgated, and the right minister Laiji has also officially become the prime minister, and Zuo Tianzi is in power.

   As a result, the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was not over yet, and the young crown prince suddenly died of illness. The death of the crown prince made the emperor extremely sad.

  Emperor was also sick.

   Now not only did it not get better, but it became more and more serious. The imperial doctor has already hinted that it is time to prepare for the funeral.

  The prime ministers panicked.

Just now they went to visit the emperor together again. The young emperor was lying on the couch and couldn't get up. He was so thin that he was out of shape. Hair, vomiting what to eat, and even started coughing up blood.

   There is no cure for medicine and stone, and even the cause cannot be found.

  The experienced old imperial doctor could only suspect that it was poisoning. As for the source of the poison, it might be the elixir taken by the young emperor.

The emperor, who was only in his twenties, was secretly taking the elixir. Even the empress dowager and the empress didn't know about it, but the imperial doctor couldn't be sure that the elixir was poisonous. The warlock who provided the elixir had already killed himself in fright, so now he didn't even know what ingredients were in the elixir.

  The prince died young, and the emperor was critically ill.

   This made the Luoyang court panic all of a sudden.

  Now someone is proposing to establish a new crown prince as soon as possible, just in case. Some people suggested that the Queen Mother of Qin should be invited to listen to the government behind the curtain, and some people thought that the emperor's other princes were too young. To be on the safe side, the emperor's younger brother, Jin Wang Li Hong, should be appointed as the emperor's younger brother.

   "Why do I always feel that there is a strong taste of conspiracy in this matter, do you think this matter has something to do with that person from Nangong?" Lai Ji frowned.

"Don't think so, that person can't even get out of the Hanfeng Hall of Shangyang Palace, let alone go to the gate of Yanggong Palace, and has no chance to contact people outside. How could he murder the emperor and the prince? Besides, the emperor He is also his son, the prince is also his grandson?"

   Lai Ji gritted his teeth and said, "We must send someone to conduct a comprehensive investigation immediately, and we must not let go of the slightest possibility, not afraid of 10,000, but just in case!"

  (end of this chapter)