Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4980: Peaceful State Affairs
Li Chengqian drank his tea slowly, his eyes were slightly gloomy, but his expression was calm, showing no joy or anger.

Liu Li and Ma Zhou, who were arguing, looked at each other, lowered their voices at the same time, and gave up the dispute.

For some reason, the emperor in front of him suddenly gave people a strange feeling, as if the weak-hearted and weak-willed young king had suddenly turned into a sullen and ruthless ruler...

There is majesty amidst the indifference.

Li Chengqian put down his teacup, looked at the two civil servants in front of him, chuckled, and said, "Why are you not arguing anymore?"

Ma Zhou said: "I was reckless and behaved badly in front of you, Your Majesty, please punish me."

Liu Li also said: "Your Majesty is the supreme ruler of the world, and you have absolute power to make decisions. We, the ministers, respectfully listen to your teachings and dare not disobey."

"Haha, I, as an emperor, have a very unfortunate fate. When I was the crown prince, I was in fear day and night, fearing that I would lose my throne at any moment. After I ascended the throne, I was not respected by the people of the world. Mutinies and rebellions occurred one after another. Fortunately, my ancestors blessed me and saved my life. How can I be considered the supreme ruler of the world? I am afraid that everyone in the court and the public is talking about my stupidity and mediocrity behind my back."

After hearing this, Liu Li and Ma Zhou could no longer sit still. They stood up one after another, bowed and saluted, and said in fear: "Your Majesty is naturally kind and benevolent. He is truly a rare benevolent monarch in the history. He is a blessing for the Tang Dynasty, the officials, and the people!"

"Your Majesty, do not belittle yourself because of the rampant traitors. The Tang Dynasty is now changing with each passing day, and its national strength is at its peak. It has created a prosperous and beautiful country that has never been seen in history. All of this is due to your Majesty's efforts!"

"Alright, I'm not a child, why do I need your comfort?"

Li Chengqian smiled and waved his hands, not making any comment on the two men's praise. He invited them to take a seat and asked, "As you two dear ministers said, if the army can go to war without orders, there will be endless troubles. However, the Tang Dynasty has a vast territory and a million troops. It is impossible for every battle to be reported in advance and asked for the emperor's order... Is there a compromise between the two?"

Liu Li and Ma Zhou fell into deep thought.

This is a paradox. If we want to ensure the combat effectiveness of the army and respond quickly to critical situations so as not to miss the opportunity to fight, it is necessary to give the army the power to make decisions on the spot. On the contrary, this power to make decisions on the spot will undermine the central authority and cause fundamental damage to the monarchy. How can we find a compromise when we have two sides of the same coin?

The reasons for this predicament are, firstly, that the system is not perfect and the situation is too complicated, and secondly, that the king's prestige is not enough to command the entire army and intimidate the world.

During the Zhenguan period, although the Tang Dynasty did not have the vast territory it has today, it had a large number of troops. Wars were fought in all directions and wars were raging. But was there any army that dared to disobey Taizong's orders and start a war on its own?
Even the Hu tribes that surrendered to the emperor were loyal and followed his words...

Li Chengqian seemed to realize that this was an unsolvable knot, so he did not dwell on it, but changed the subject: "Now the empire is extremely vast, and the domestic development is changing with each passing day. This is an increasingly severe test for the Council of State. My dear ministers, you have to work hard day and night, and while worrying about your own health, you must also cheer up and not make any mistakes."

He paused, glanced at the two men's faces, and continued, "It is not easy for the empire to be what it is today. It is the result of the joint efforts of tens of thousands of people across the country. If a prime minister made a mistake in his administration and caused serious losses, I would certainly not be able to blame him, but the laws of the country will not tolerate any leniency."

"Uh……"

Liu Li and Ma Zhou were confused and didn't know how to respond.

There was a moment of silence in the imperial study. After a while, Liu Li asked tentatively, "No one is perfect. No matter how careful we are, we can't avoid making mistakes. However, we are deeply blessed by the emperor and enjoy the support of the country. We should fulfill our duties. We can be rewarded for our merits and punished for our mistakes."

Your Majesty, are you dissatisfied with the Prime Minister or the Vice Prime Minister in the Council of State?
Unexpectedly, Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "It is reasonable to reward merits and punish mistakes, but we should still try our best to prevent mistakes. If a person makes a mistake, he can be punished, but the mistake he made has already caused huge losses that cannot be reversed. This is not a good way to govern the country."

Liu Li looked at Ma Zhou thoughtfully. Seeing that he was only drinking tea with his brows down, he said helplessly, "Perhaps we can increase the number of assistant ministers in the government hall, and try to make sure that everyone performs their duties and does their own things. The Grand Commandant once said something very good, 'Professional matters should be left to professionals'. In this way, we may be able to minimize mistakes."

Li Chengqian's eyes lit up, and he praised: "The Minister of the Central Secretariat is indeed mature and wise in planning for the country!"

Seeing that His Majesty was indeed thinking this way, Liu Li immediately complained bitterly. However, facing His Majesty's expectant gaze, he could not pretend not to understand, nor could he politely refuse. He could only swallow his bitter water and said, "Now the empire's territory is getting larger and larger, and the taxes and labor service are increasing. We need to enlighten the people and develop and build. Our talents are limited and it is difficult to take care of everything. It is better to increase the number of people who can participate in government affairs and expand the scale of the government hall. After all, one person can plan for the short and many can plan for the long, so we can definitely take care of everything."

The Council of State is the decision-making center of the Tang Empire. All national affairs must be discussed and deliberated here by the prime ministers, who will then assist His Majesty in making decisions. It can be said that it holds the highest power in the empire.

How can a man of honor live in the world without power for a day? Once the number of people who participate in government affairs increases in the government hall, power will inevitably be dispersed. Which prime minister can have such a noble character? It is impossible not to blame the person who came up with this idea.

This is going to be a big black pot...

Glancing at Ma Zhou, who was as quiet as a cat and didn't say a word, he felt angry, but at the same time, he was somewhat envious of Ma Zhou's temperament and style. For example, for this kind of thing, His Majesty would only ask him, and he had to tell him, but he would never force Ma Zhou to tell him.

Because as long as Ma Zhou doesn't want to say it, no matter who forces him...

However, although he had already thought that Li Chengqian was a very evil person, he did not expect that Li Chengqian was even more evil than he thought.

"Participating in the political affairs of Henan Province is just a title. Although one can enter the political affairs hall and make suggestions on certain government affairs, one does not have the power to make decisions. No matter how many people there are, it is not enough to change the current predicament."

As soon as these words were spoken, Ma Zhou raised his eyes and looked at Li Chengqian in surprise, and Liu Li even broke out in a cold sweat.

What does this mean?

The qualification to participate in Henan's political affairs is not enough to change the current predicament, so does that mean we need to enhance the power of those who participate in Henan's political affairs?
Increasing the number of people participating in government affairs will cause complaints from the prime ministers. If the power of those participating in government affairs is further increased, wouldn't that be taking power away from the prime ministers?
Wouldn't the prime ministers hate him as the "instigator"?

Moreover, he is the head of the civil servants and nominally the first prime minister. Could it be that he is "offering advice" to divide his power?

You're shooting yourself in the foot!

Li Chengqian smiled and seemed a little excited: "I agree with your idea, my dear minister. Haha, you are not only resourceful, but also my right-hand man and the pillar of our country!"

Liu Li didn't know what to say, like a dumb man who had eaten bitter herbs: "Your Majesty, I am ashamed to accept your praise."

Is that what I think?
It is your idea, Your Majesty!

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment and said, "Since I agree with the two of you, how about adding Liu Xiangdao, Dai Zhou, Tang Jian, and Pei Huaijie to the Council of State? However, these four are all important officials of the country, with extraordinary status, qualifications, and achievements. A mere title of "Participating in the Council of State Affairs" seems a bit careless and sloppy!"

Without waiting for Liu Li and Ma Zhou to object, he continued, "I still remember that in the fourth year of Zhenguan, Dai Zhou was the Minister of Civil Affairs and the Minister of State Affairs. In the eighth year of Zhenguan, the Minister of the Left, Duke Weiguo, resigned due to illness. Emperor Taizong ordered him to come to the Secretariat to discuss state affairs every two or three days after his illness was slightly cured... They were all positions that were not the prime ministers, but they exercised the power of the prime ministers. How about granting Liu, Dai, Tang, and Pei the title of 'co-prime ministers' to participate in state affairs?"

Liu Li felt his head buzzing. He glanced at Ma Zhou and saw the shock in his eyes. So they stood up and bowed, saying with great fear and trepidation, "Your Majesty, please think twice!"

Your Majesty, are you going to overturn the table? !

"Tong" means the same, "Zhongshu" and "Menxia" are two of the three ministries, "Pingzhang" means to review, distinguish, decide and deal with, and "Shi" means temporary assignment. Such a title seems to have the same power as the prime minister, but in fact it is just a temporary assignment. The appointment, dismissal, and retention are all up to the emperor. It can effectively control the political hall and firmly grasp the central power.

But even if it's just a temporary assignment, he has power equivalent to that of a prime minister!

Isn't that four more prime ministers for no reason?
There are four today, will it be six or even eight tomorrow?
If it only stops here, then it's fine. Your Majesty is the supreme ruler and has such power. All the ministers in the Council of State dare not disobey you.

But the most important thing is not just this!
"Together with the Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel", the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty is not only the chief official of the Secretariat, the Minister of the Secretariat, and the chief official of the Ministry of Personnel, but also the left and right Pushe of the Ministry of Shangshu!

Due to historical reasons, the Secretariat did not have a Shangshu Ling, and the Zuo Pushe and Zuo Pushe were the actual chief officials of the Secretariat. So who are the Zuo Pushe and Zuo Pushe of the Secretariat now?
Apart from the few people who enjoyed the title and treatment of Left and Right Pushe, there were two people who held the official positions in name only.

Shangshu Zuo Pushe, Duke of Yingguo Li Ji!
Shangshu You Pushe, Taiwei, Duke of Yue Fang Jun!

What about "Tongzhongshumenxia" and "Shangshusheng"?

Do you want to expel the head of the Shangshu Province from the list of prime ministers? !

That’s Li Ji and Fang Jun!

Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows, his face solemn, "Do you think it's inappropriate?"

Liu Li and Ma Zhou were speechless for a moment.

It's not just inappropriate, it's extremely inappropriate!
Even though the army has repeatedly challenged the monarchy, and even has the danger of escaping the monarchy's control, which is very likely to cause huge hidden dangers, this matter can only be dealt with slowly. How can we confront the military head-on and expel the two major military giants from the ranks of prime ministers in one fell swoop? !
Your Majesty, do you think that the military are all docile cats and dogs who can be suppressed at will?

Or has it been that since you ascended the throne there have been repeated mutinies, and you have become accustomed to it, and don't care if those two mutiny against you again?
But these two are neither Zhangsun Wuji nor the Prince of Jin!