Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5236 Shifting Blame
In the first year of the Huangtai era, Li Mi, the leader of the Wagang Army, was defeated by Wang Shichong and fled west to Chang'an to submit to Li Yuan. Li Yuan was overjoyed and immediately appointed Li Mi as Guanglu Qing (Minister of Ceremonies), granted him the title of Duke of Xing, and married his cousin, Lady Dugu, to Li Mi, addressing Li Mi as his younger brother.

At that time, Li Mi's generals Li Ji and Guo Xiaoke controlled the Liyang region. Seeing that Li Mi had surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, Li Ji and Guo Xiaoke discussed the matter and contacted Wei Zheng, deciding to surrender together. Li Ji then ordered Guo Xiaoke to present a memorial to the court.

Li Yuan was overjoyed and appointed Guo Xiaoke as the Prefect of Songzhou and Duke of Yangdi County, entrusting him and Li Ji with managing the area east of Hulao Pass. He also appointed them to select and appoint officials for the prefectures and counties they acquired.

The following year, Dou Jiande captured Liyang, taking prisoner Li Shentong, the Prince of Huai'an, Xu Gai, the father of Li Shiji, and others. Li Shiji was forced to surrender to Dou Jiande, but remained loyal to the Tang Dynasty and discussed an escape plan with Guo Xiaoke.

Afterwards, Li Shiji and Guo Xiaoke led several dozen horsemen to surrender to the Tang Dynasty and arrived in Chang'an...

Therefore, Guo Xiaoke had a close relationship with Li Ji and was very influential in his faction.

Liu Ji wrote the letter because he had accurately predicted the relationship between Li Ji and Guo Xiaoke, believing that Li Ji would definitely step forward to protect the Ministry of Personnel's selection process, and even force the court to make a decision and posthumously recognize Guo Xiaoke's achievements...

Li Ji smiled and shook his head: "Liu Sidao is talented but lacks magnanimity. Why would a high-ranking prime minister need to use such methods to flatter His Majesty? His days as prime minister are probably numbered."

The chief minister, who oversees all affairs, must not only be exceptionally capable and skilled in both civil and military affairs, but also possess high prestige and a magnanimous spirit; otherwise, how can he win the hearts of the people?

If one avoids trouble and cherishes one's own reputation, how can one shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the empire?

Cheng Yaojin asked curiously, "If Liu Ji were to abdicate one day, would you, Lord Ying, follow the trend, or would Ma Zhou take over? Surely it wouldn't be that brat Fang Er who takes the position, would it?"

Li Ji said, "Your Majesty is extremely worried about the balance between military and political power, fearing that imperial power will fall into the wrong hands and powerful ministers will run rampant. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for Erlang and me to become prime ministers. The only one who can take over is Ma Zhou."

It must be Ma Zhou.

As a "capable minister" and "clerk" who was highly regarded in the court during the Zhenguan period, he was not only outstanding in his abilities but also diligent in his official duties. He was conscientious and hardworking, and his qualifications, abilities, and status were all top-notch. No one among the civil officials could compare with him.

Cheng Yaojin sighed: "Ma Binwang has always been on good terms with Fang Er. Once he becomes prime minister, Fang Er will become even more uncontrollable. I'm afraid he'll be squatting on our heads and defecating."

Li Ji refuted this, saying, "Ma Zhou is fair and honest, wholeheartedly devoted to the country, and has absolutely no selfish motives. The reason he is on good terms with Fang Jun is because the two share the same political views and are compatible in character. How could he possibly form a clique with Fang Jun for personal gain and blur the lines between public and private matters? You should be careful with your words."

Cheng Yaojin slammed the wine jar on the table with a "Duang," his leopard eyes wide with fury: "Are we not even allowed to speak now? Back in the day, I spoke freely even in front of Emperor Taizong, and he never blamed me for it. I, Cheng Yaojin, have always been upright and fearless. I've never learned to be so timid, even when I fart!"

"Good good!"

Li Ji was so angry he was practically fuming. He slammed his fist on the table and yelled, "You are fearless, upright, and a hero of integrity. I, Li Ji, have to be careful even when I fart. I can't stand the sight of a troublemaker like you. So please leave my residence immediately, lest I tarnish your reputation!"

"Hey!"

Cheng Yaojin, with his thick skin, poured himself a drink and said, "You think I'll leave just because you tell me to? I haven't finished my drink yet. I'll leave when I'm done. Even if you try to stop me, I'll still leave."

"Mom!"

Li Ji was furious. He slammed his fist on the table even louder and glared at the table, yelling, "Get the hell out of here!"

"hey-hey!"

Cheng Yaojin drank and ate his food with great contentment, ignoring Li Ji's scolding.

Li Ji was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He could only gently advise him: "Take your old ways back. Times have changed."

When Emperor Taizong was alive, he did not use solemnity and awe to enhance the prestige of his subjects, because his own prestige already overflowed. But now Your Majesty is severely lacking in prestige, and can only show "benevolence" and treat people with "leniency" in order to enhance your prestige.

However, as the saying goes, "the more you lack something, the more you should emphasize it," so why should true "benevolence" be emphasized again and again?

The more one believes His Majesty to be "benevolent," and therefore speaks and acts without restraint, the more likely one is to suffer a backlash...

Cheng Yaojin paused, his hand holding the wine cup still, and asked, "So you groveled before Fang Er, hoping for a peaceful end and a safe home?"

Li Ji was speechless. He angrily retorted, "When have I ever groveled before Fang Jun? The reason I'm with him is to reform the Tang Dynasty's military system and eliminate the possibility of warlord separatism while ensuring the army's combat effectiveness! This is for the sake of the country, not for forming cliques for personal gain!"

"Fine," Cheng Yaojin clicked his tongue, unconvinced, "Since you can fool yourself, I won't say any more."

Li Ji: "..."

Mother!

*****
The following day, the first day of the twelfth lunar month, was the Grand Court Assembly.

Before dawn, snowflakes began to fall heavily from the dark night sky, enveloping the entire city of Chang'an. Streams of torches and lanterns emerged from the gates of various neighborhoods, weaving through the crisscrossing streets and converging on Chengtian Gate.

Once the palace gates opened, hundreds of officials, in order of rank, filed into the Taiji Palace...

As the year draws to a close, the court is swamped with affairs, with mountains of tasks piled up in the three provinces, six ministries, and nine temples, all of which must be completed before the end of the year. Furthermore, preparations for various sacrificial rites before and after the year must begin now, without the slightest negligence.

"The most important affairs of the state are sacrifice and war." Whether it is ancestor worship or worship of Heaven, it signifies the legitimacy of a dynasty, reflecting the will of Heaven and the will of the people, and is of paramount importance.

Furthermore, tributes from foreign vassal states also required individual arrangements.

It wasn't until 3:45 AM that all the various matters were finally arranged in a general manner...

Li Chengqian sat on the throne, took a sip of strong tea to refresh himself. He had gotten up before dawn to prepare for the court meeting, and now he was almost exhausted and lacked energy. He sighed inwardly.

Being a wise and virtuous ruler is not simply a matter of being "skilled in both literature and military affairs," but also requires abundant energy; otherwise, one is bound to be negligent, lazy, and inactive in governing.

In this respect, the establishment of the "Hall of State Affairs" and the "Grand Council" indeed greatly compensated for the lack of energy of the monarch, so that all political and military affairs could be implemented under full argumentation and guidance, and no major mistakes would be made due to the monarch's negligence.

If Emperor Yang of Sui had had these two departments and followed their instructions, how could the war have raged and caused such widespread resentment?
However, the establishment of the "Hall of State Affairs" and the "Grand Council" effectively weakened the emperor's power...

He took another sip of strong tea, composed himself, and looked around at the ministers in the hall: "Yesterday, the Censorate submitted a memorial to the Emperor, in which Censor-in-Chief Sun Chuyue impeached the Ministry of Personnel... What do you gentlemen think should be done?"

Fang Jun knelt at the head of the table to the right of His Majesty, his eyelids drooping and he remained silent, looking as if he were asleep.

Liu Ji, seated to the left of His Majesty, glanced up but remained silent.

After Grand Censor Liu Xiangdao left, Sun Chuyue stood up and said loudly, "The selection method is the standard for choosing officials in the empire, striving for fairness, impartiality, and transparency, which is respected by all officials in the empire. However, Du Zhengyi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Fang Jun, the Grand Commandant, have colluded privately, openly trampling on the selection rules, causing a serious loss of credibility to the Ministry of Personnel, and even potentially causing the collapse of the empire's official selection system! I beseech Your Majesty to severely punish them as a warning to others and to restore the prestige of the selection rules!"

Li Chengqian glanced at Fang Jun, then looked at Du Zhengyi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel: "Minister Du, do you have anything to say?"

Li Xiaogong, the Minister of Personnel and Prince of Hejian, was absent as usual. After Du Zhengyi knelt in the empty seat, he stood up upon hearing this, took two steps forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the Censor-in-Chief failed to conduct a thorough investigation and his words were biased."

Li Chengqian nodded: "You are permitted to defend yourself."

"Here."

Du Zhengyi straightened up and said, "The reason why the Censor-in-Chief impeached me is because the Ministry of Personnel approved Guo Xiaoshen's selection and appointment of me to an official position. But the problem is that since the court has never made a definitive judgment on Guo Xiaoke's merits and demerits, the Guo family naturally has the qualification to select and appoint officials. The Ministry of Personnel should not only allow Guo Xiaoshen to be selected and appointed, but should also apologize and compensate for depriving him of his selection qualification over the years."

Many people nodded in agreement, expressing their approval of this statement.

The principle of "presumption of innocence" applies here. Since Guo Xiaoke was not convicted, he should be considered innocent. Since Guo Xiaoke is innocent, his family members are naturally qualified for selection and appointment as officials.

So, ultimately, is Guo Xiaoke guilty or not?
Li Chengqian looked at Fang Jun: "Grand Commandant, you are in charge of all military affairs in the country. What are your thoughts on Guo Xiaoke's death in the Western Regions?"

Fang Jun seemed to wake up from a dream, rubbed his face, and said, "Your Majesty is wise. When Guo Xiaoke died in battle, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and the Duke of Yingguo were in charge of military affairs. They must have been very familiar with the situation at the time and were able to make a clear and accurate judgment."

Liu Ji: "..."

I thought I was the best at shirking responsibility, but unexpectedly, Fang Er was even better than him!
The whole thing started when Fang Jun helped his brother-in-law get an official position, but now he's shifting the blame onto Li Ji.
Although Li Ji would inevitably step forward to judge Guo Xiaoke's merits and demerits, there is no such thing as voluntarily stepping forward and being passively burdened with responsibility...

However, whoever takes the blame for this matter should be kept out of his sight.

He then echoed, "The Grand Commandant's words are reasonable. This matter should be consulted with Duke Ying. Duke Ying's opinion is sufficient to determine the nature of Guo Xiaoke."

Faced with these two cunning individuals, Li Ji had no choice but to stand up and say, "Although Guo Xiaoke suffered a defeat in the Western Regions and lost his army and country, the reason lies in the complex situation in the Western Regions at that time. The Turks were intervening in the process, stirring up trouble from both sides, and also sending elite cavalry to launch a sneak attack... Guo Xiaoke's defeat was not due to a failure in battle, and he should be recognized as having died for his country."

The ministers watched coldly from the sidelines.

The term "martyrdom" sounds very noble, but the difference between the two is huge, and its praise or criticism, merit or demerit, depends on victory or defeat.

Those who win the battle will be honored with the highest glory of "dying for their country".

Even if someone is "martyred for their country" after being defeated, it is still considered a disgrace. It is common for someone to be "guilty even in death," and "martyrdom for one's country" cannot cover up their mistakes.