Chapter 1290 Gao's descendants

Chapter 1290 Gao's descendants

Although the process of encircling and suppressing Qingzhou had some twists and turns, the result was still relatively satisfactory. All important people from Gao Zhan, the puppet leader, down were arrested, and few escaped.

Gao Zhan's performance was as mediocre as ever. Although he had organized some considerable forces in Qingzhou with the help of the remaining power of the Northern Qi Dynasty, he still lacked the courage and responsibility when facing dangers and challenges. Considering its own safety and interests, these personnel forces did not exert their due effect. When faced with huge external pressure, they collapsed internally.

In addition, when the Tang army marched into Qingzhou, the chaotic situation in Henan, Huaibei, Shandong and other places was cleared to a certain extent. These local forces, such as the Taiyang clan, also successively surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. The surrender brought all the people and land in these areas under the control of the Tang Dynasty.

As for the unbearable experience of the false leader Gao Zhan before he was captured, it is certainly a tragedy that every ordinary person may encounter during the war, but if it happens to Gao Zhan himself, it can only be said that he is self-inflicted and deserves the blame, regardless of irony. It’s full of both speed and drama.

Even if he was not so smart, he arranged for his generals to lead his troops eastward and pretended that he had fled, the Tang army was able to enter the city in time and restore order, so that he could avoid being looted and raped by the rebels.

As Han Xiong led his troops into the city to take control of the situation in the city, Gao Le and Shuofeng also led their troops to join forces. The battle to encircle and suppress the remaining enemies in Qingzhou was also coming to an end. Next, Han Xiong dispatched divisions and brigade to the nearby states and counties, and ordered the officials of these border states and counties to submit their declarations and accept the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, the most important thing is to arrange for people to enter the customs to report their victory, and to send the captured puppet leader Gao Zhan and his important officials to the court.

When the Xianjie troops arrived in Chang'an, it was already midsummer and May. Since the Lubu battle report was sent to Ji Nei first, the imperial court had already arranged for the reception personnel.

Among the first batch of prisoners of war who entered Beijing, in addition to Gao Zhan's family, there were also celebrities from Hebei such as Cui Jishu. Therefore, on the day the team arrived in Chang'an, in addition to the personnel of Guanglu Temple, there were also Kinai Tokiryu who came to greet them. , some are relatives and friends of these people, and some are just watching out of curiosity.

Although the next day was not Wangshuo's day, the imperial court still held a large court meeting. His Majesty the Emperor personally attended the meeting in the Qianyuan Hall, and the generals who had entered the court to report their merits and victories also went to the hall to submit battle reports.

Although Li Tai had already read the detailed battle report, he still couldn't help but feel excited when he read it again during today's court meeting. Although the overall scale of this series of wars this year is not as grand as the battle to destroy Qi that he personally led last year, the land and population gained are not much inferior, or even greater.

As the remaining forces of Gao Jun and Gao Zhan in the Northern Qi Dynasty were wiped out respectively, large areas such as Henan, Huaibei, and Shandong were also brought under the control of the Tang Dynasty. Since the division of the East and West in the Northern Wei Dynasty, the north of the Yangtze River has once again been unified in the hands of Li Tai!

This also means that, even if subsequent events are not taken into account, in terms of current achievements alone, Li Tai's achievements since Wuhu's chaos in China are already among the best. Of course, Li Tai would not be satisfied with just comparing with these scumbags. Including his ancestor Li Hao, they were just Fang Yuzhihao from one side of the separatist regime. There was no need to compare with each other.

"The thieves hunting Qingzhou this time, all the soldiers they fought have made considerable achievements. The former's merit records have been revealed in the capital, and the department will quickly verify them and award them with honors!"

After reading the merit report, Li Taidang urged Yousi to implement the reward as soon as possible, and then said: "Now all the parties in Guandong have been included in the king's rule, and they urgently need to be preached and Dunized. Guozi, Taixue and other states can learn quickly. The best ones will be recommended, and all the tributes will be pre-selected. After the selection, they will be sent to the state for use!"

Nowadays, the personnel structure of the Tang Dynasty court is complete. Although the territory and people have increased greatly this year, there is no need to worry about no one available. In addition to the reserve officials that the court already has in reserve, there are also There are various recruitment channels to recruit new people into the official ranks.

The details of government affairs are usually not discussed at the court meeting. After all, there are too many people attending the meeting. Even if everyone just expresses their opinions briefly, the time will pass quickly and it will be difficult for the entire court meeting to discuss a few things.

The main reason why a large court meeting was temporarily added today was to reach a conclusion on the Qing Dynasty's suppression of the remaining forces of the Northern Qi Dynasty.

At present, the remaining forces of Gao Jun and Gao Zhan have been wiped out, but Gao Jina, who fled all the way to the northeast, has not yet been wiped out. This group of people broke out from Jinyang and fled. Their combat effectiveness is not weak. They are also led by the Hu Luguang brothers. It is also said that not long ago, they were mixed up with Kumoxi and other Donghu forces. If they want to eliminate them, they must not do it. It will be as simple as destroying the two strands before.

Li Tai had never wanted to start a war on two fronts before, but in the process of annihilating Gao Zhan, according to Han Xiong's report, he actually found some personnel connections between Gao Zhan and Nan Chen, which he had to guard against.

Moreover, the war has been going on for a long time since last year. Although Li Tai returned to Chang'an to proclaim himself the emperor and supervise the country a year ago, most of the soldiers are still on the journey, and the war machine of the Tang Dynasty has been running non-stop. Now It's also time to stop and recuperate, but I'm not in a hurry to continue to wipe out the remaining bandits in the Northeast.

After all, the geographical span is too large, and the various pressures such as fatigue of soldiers, fatigue of carriages and horses, and long-distance transportation of supplies cannot be offset by a simple one-shot effort.

So Li Tai then announced in the court meeting: "Since the expedition against the bandits of Qi last year, although the merits have been outstanding and the bandits have been killed, it is inevitable that the soldiers and horses are tired and the treasury is exhausted. Although there are still some bandits fleeing on the road, the world and human affairs cannot stagnate because of these stubborn bandits. The soldiers must be sent back to take care of themselves, the prisoners must be convicted, and other matters must be carried out quickly, so that we can recuperate and plan for a more powerful governance!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

After hearing this, the ministers in the palace also praised one after another. Indeed, since the military campaign last autumn, the war has been going on for nearly a year, and it is indeed not appropriate to continue and expand it.

As Li Tai announced that the war against Qi had come to an end, some corresponding personnel matters naturally needed to be concluded and a final judgment result announced.

For example, although they had conquered the two capitals of Northern Qi and brought a large number of royal family members and officials to Chang'an, they had not yet conducted a systematic trial. Even if they were released or married, they were all palace ladies and relatives of non-political figures. As for the royal family members and some officials of Northern Qi, they were still detained by officials, waiting for judgment.

Next, Li Tai formed a three-division trial with the prime minister's attendant, Guangping Wang Yuanzan, as the leader, and the censor Liu Fan and the minister of the Ministry of Justice Liu Qing as the assistants, to judge the remaining people of Northern Qi and give them different sentences.

From the Western Wei Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, the attitude that they had always adhered to was to never recognize the legitimacy of the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi regimes, and they had always called them thieves. The wars between them were just the orthodox court's conquest of traitors, not wars between countries. Naturally, the captured people were not the relatives of the enemy country, but the remnants of thieves.

Historically, after the Northern Zhou Dynasty destroyed Qi, it treated the Northern Qi royal family relatively kindly. Although they were killed one after another soon after, they were still given generous official titles to appease them at that time.

But that was because the Northern Zhou Dynasty also completed the usurpation before destroying Qi. The second brother did not mention the eldest brother, and the thieves gathered together. However, Li Tai accepted the abdication after destroying Qi in a dignified manner, so he had no moral burden and ritual pressure on this point. 　　　　So in the following trials of the Northern Qi royal family and officials, in principle, they were all guilty traitors, the only difference was the severity of their crimes, and then combined with their respective attitudes of resistance or submission to the king's expedition, their crimes were increased or decreased, and finally formed their treatment.

Take Gao Zhan for example. He originally pursued a non-resistance attitude and fled from Yecheng early. When he was sentenced, he could be given a reduced sentence or even a certain reward because he was afraid of the king's army and did not dare to resist. However, this guy went to Qingzhou to set up a small court, which became a complete unforgivable crime and was destined to be beheaded.

As for other Northern Qi royal family members, those who took the initiative to surrender and actively helped the king's army, such as Gao Guiyan, were granted the title of Liaoyang County Marquis. Although the title was not very prominent, it was at least rewarded without punishment, and it was considered a safe transition.

However, Gao Xiaoyu, the son of Gao Cheng, surrendered to the king's army one after another, but did not obviously help the king's army, so he was not punished or rewarded. He was just released as a civilian and was registered in Jingzhao. He was not allowed to move to other places without permission. If he violated the rules, the county and prefecture officials could arrest and kill him locally!

As for the other members of the Northern Qi royal family who were captured on the battlefield or in their residences, they were sentenced to imprisonment or exile, but could be exempted if they were pardoned. They were not given special treatment, but they were not abused either.

Especially the point of being exempted if they were pardoned, because the territory of the newly established Tang Dynasty increased rapidly, it was inevitable that amnesty orders would be issued frequently to appease the people who had been in chaos for many years. Therefore, as long as these Northern Qi royal family members were willing to obey the arrangements, they would be exempted from punishment in a few months and start a new life as ordinary people.

As for the wealth and splendor they had enjoyed in the Northern Qi Dynasty in the past, they could just treat it as a dream. After all, the Gao family had only been in existence for a short thirty years since Gao Huan became rich, and before that they were just ordinary people. If these people really had difficulty in going from luxury to frugality and could not stand the life of ordinary people, they could only start a new life quickly, and perhaps they could be reborn into the homes of the founding nobles of the Tang Dynasty.

The three chiefs selected by Li Tai had little connection with the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi. Liu Fan was originally from the Southern Dynasty, and Liu Qing persuaded Emperor Xiaowu to move the capital to Guanzhong in his early years. As for Yuan Zan, as a member of the Yuan Wei clan, he secretly hated the Gao family for causing chaos in Wei, so naturally he would not have any good feelings.

Adhering to these principles, they quickly reported the treatment of the Gao clan members. After reading it, Li Tai agreed in principle, but after a little hesitation, he added: "Although the Gao family eventually rebelled, He Liuhun had the merit of building righteousness in Xindu and destroying the Erzhu clan, which was also praised at the time. His three sons also used tactics in Hebei, and the people looked up to him and lived in peace, which can be said to be meritorious. Now that my Great Tang has taken over Hebei, it has also inherited the past, and this situation should not be overlooked."

Since coming to this world, although Li Tai has not seen Gao Huan, he has called him Big Brother for several years, so now he also wants to make some arrangements for Big Brother's descendants.

Although the Guanxi regime did not recognize the Eastern Wei hegemony and the Northern Qi regime, Gao Huan's founding of Xindu and the joint attack on the Erzhu clan were also a righteous act that met the wishes of the people of the world. After all, the Erzhu clan was the common enemy of the entire northern clans. Gao Huan's revenge on his former master was absolutely tenable morally, regardless of how it was morally correct!

As for his three sons, Gao Cheng, Gao Yang, and Gao Yan successively became the heads of the Bafu and the emperor. Although this status is not recognized, they are the de facto rulers of Hebei after all. The people's livelihood and order in Hebei over the years have depended on their rule. manage.

If you ignore this point, you will inevitably be a little dismissive of the people's sentiments in Hebei. People are born with the ability to empathize. When they see the descendants of their past monarchs being treated so harshly, they will inevitably feel a little sad and sympathetic. If they are in adversity again, they will blame it all on the new dynasty's harshness and unkindness. .

After receiving the additional instructions from His Majesty the Emperor, the officials of the three divisions held discussions and decided that Gao Mi, the eldest of Gao Huan's sons who was currently in Chang'an and had no serious crimes, would be the Duke of Linzhang County, and Gao Cheng and other three The legitimate sons of a person are all granted the title of county marquis, and each is given a share of salary and material to extend their heirs.

After Li Tai got this plan, he thought about it and made some changes, and also made Gao Yan's son Gao Baibai a county official. When Jinyang was captured that day, Gao Yan had the opportunity to give the imperial seal to his younger brother Gao Ji so that he could break out of the siege with him. However, Gao Yan still kept the imperial seal for his son to present as a sign of surrender.

The loss of the jade seal passed down from generation to generation has become a concern for emperors of all dynasties. Now that the north and the south have been divided for many years, the jade seal passed down by the country is also of great significance in reshaping the authority of the monarch. Since Gao Yan made this choice, Li Tai should also show some sympathy and give preferential treatment to his heirs.

Such a treatment for the Gao clan was quickly announced. Although it was not very generous, it was still in line with humanity and etiquette. It turns out that after Emperor Wu of the Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Qi Dynasty, although he gave more preferential treatment to the clans of the Northern Qi Dynasty, with everyone having an official position and a title, he soon began to kill them frequently and eradicate them.

Now in the Tang court, Li Tai does not need to rely on preferential treatment of the Gao family to win over people and unite Hebei. Basically, his attitude towards them will not change much, as long as these people can stay safe and stay away from political disputes. Basically, they are guaranteed to live in peace and contentment under the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

As the official executions of the imperial court were announced, the Northern Qi clan members who had been detained for a long time were gradually released. As Gao Huan's heir, Gao Mi, who was granted the title of Duke Linzhang, led several nephews who were also knighted and conferred officials to the province under the imperial city gate. Be given the title of thanksgiving.

Because Li Tai wanted to select candidates to serve as officials in Henan, Qingxu and other places, he had been discussing personnel matters with the prime ministers for several days. Since he did not have time to meet Gao Mei's uncles and nephews, he asked Xiao, another servant from the middle of Liuzhi Province, to serve as minister. Jing received them.

"Your Majesty and I are fortunate enough to meet a benevolent ruler who governs the world. Although our career has been ruined, we can still travel around the world without losing honor and favor. There is a reason for not keeping our old karma. Today, we all belong to the wise Lord. , It is also a blessing for everyone in the world. If you and I still carry the lingering hatred of the story and cannot let it go, we will inevitably make enemies of the world and seek death!"

Xiao Jin, Gao Mei and others were all members of the subjugated clan, but because they arrived early and had an extraordinary friendship with the Emperor of Tang, they were now in the position of prime minister, and their mood became open-minded. When they met with Gao Mei and his entourage, they gave serious advice: .

"Thank you so much, Mr. Xiao, for your advice. Your subordinates must remember the instructions, respect the emperor's kindness, and abide by the law!"

After Gao Mi heard what Xiao Jin said, he also bowed and thanked him. Then his uncle and nephew left the imperial city, and their officials led them to the Fangju mansion given by the imperial court.

Just as this group of people was walking to the square, another group of armored soldiers escorted a prison car out of the side gate of the Imperial City. The prison car was escorting some death row prisoners who were about to go to the West City for execution.

"I am the Emperor of Qi, how can I be punished with common people!"

Gao Zhan's roar came from afar. He was still roaring in protest at first, but as he saw the West Market execution ground getting closer and closer, his roar turned into a scream: "Spare my life, spare my life! I want to see the Emperor of Tang and beg to be a slave for the officials..." "

As the execution team entered the West City, Gao Zhan's screams and begging for mercy gradually disappeared from his ears. Gao Mi looked back at his nephews and found that they were all sweating like him, and he managed to squeeze out a few smiles on his face. , said in a bitter voice: "The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty ruled the world with clear punishments and rewards. Our uncles and nephews will inherit the legacy of our ancestors and we will be able to live in peace for the rest of our lives!"

The nephews all nodded in agreement, and then motioned to the driver to speed up, eager to start a new life.