Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 44 The Art of Winning Over

Some ministers are waiting for Your Majesty to raise this issue.

This wave of public opinion is so overwhelming that they are almost left alone.

To put it bluntly, Hou Junji only embezzled some money and property, and did not commit any mistakes in principle.

He is still worthy of being taught!

Moreover, this time it was His Majesty who took the initiative to give the officials a way out and did not force the civil officials to go back on their words and kneel down to beg for leniency outside the law.

He really made me cry to death.

Changsun Wuji sat high up under the dragon bed, and every expression of the officials could be seen by him.

He stroked his chin and felt that the time was ripe.

Thanks (?) to those leaflets with unclear motives, the overwhelming public opinion was won over to Hou Junji's side, and pressure was inadvertently exerted on the officials in the court.

Now, with just a few words from Changsun Wuji, he could win over a considerable number of centrists and thus release his political ally Hou Junji naturally.

We also have to thank Fang Xuanling for throwing Hou Junji into jail, giving Changsun Wuji an opportunity to do a favor.

By then, Hou Junji will definitely return the favor and move closer to him and the prince...

"Your Majesty..."

"His Majesty."

Just as Zhangsun Wuji was about to make his speech, Fang Xuanling spoke first:
“Guan Zi once said that those who are good at governing a country should manage the country through effective systems, which can convince the people.

"Does it mean that Hou Junji committed a crime then, but it doesn't count as a crime now?
"The ruler and his subjects are of one mind and have foresight. I believe that they will not, for the sake of a moment's peace, be misled by the fallacies of the common people and do something absurd that would undermine the authority of the law."

The high hat was put on and the wavering faction was immediately silenced.

"Oh, yes, yes." All the ministers seconded the motion.

Everyone thinks that they are upright and righteous people, and no one wants to be labeled as "fearful of rumors."

Although the attitude has somewhat softened, the ministers still advocate:

Hou Junji cannot be released.

Li Shimin was rejected again and pouted in displeasure.

Changsun Wuji glanced at Fang Xuanling's expressionless face and said nothing.

Let’s turn the page on the Hou Junji case and move on to the next topic.

Li Shimin's expression became sad, and he asked the Dali Temple Minister with concern:

"Sun Tingwei, Xiaogong's case..."

Sun Fuga, who has become exhausted from practicing Taoism, bows his head:
"Our temple, together with the Ministry of Justice and Wannian County, conducted a comprehensive search of the Hejian County Prince's Mansion. No arsenic was found, and there was no trace of poison dumped in the well.

"We checked the account books of the Prince's Mansion for materials in and out, and based on them, we traced the vegetable vendors, medicine shops, charcoal vendors, and temporary workers who had dealings with the Prince's Mansion, but found nothing unusual.

"After questioning the prince's relatives and servants in the mansion, no one..."

"In short, there is no progress, right?" Li Shimin interrupted impatiently.

But seeing that Sun Fujia seemed to be in a state where he would die suddenly if there was a gust of wind, he could not bear to scold him, so he rewarded him with some cloth and said a few words of leniency.

The meeting ended with the final decision:
Hou Junji was still not released, and the case was handed over to the Censorate for full handling; the main attention of the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice was shifted to the Li Xiaogong case.

"Hou Junji is unruly and needs to be tempered in prison before he can be used by the young master." Fang Xuanling muttered to himself as he packed up his tablet.

He immediately saw who was behind this wave of public opinion sparked by the low-level red leaflets.

Apart from the mischievous Prince Li Ming, who else could come up with such a... ridiculous idea?

Knowing who the manipulator was, it was not difficult for Fang Xuanling to guess the real purpose of this farce - to force the court to release Hou Junji and bring him under his command.

"The goal was correct, and the method was also... clever. Unfortunately, I was a little impatient in grasping the timing, and I didn't understand Hou Junji's character, which led to my acting too hastily.

"So I, an old minister, have to help calm down the anger, block it in the court, and wait patiently for the right time."

Fang Xuanling commented, with the corners of his mouth rising unconsciously.

No matter what, this bastard young master's ideas are really spooky!
It was really beyond his expectation that the idea of ​​mobilizing the people and using the power of the people to put pressure on the court was actually realized.

As a professional prime minister who came from a noble family and followed Li Shimin for most of his life, although Fang Xuanling always mentioned "the people of the world", in his political calculations, his vision was limited to the Taiji Palace.

Almost subconsciously, the common people are excluded.

Because in the feudal era, politics has always been decided by a few powerful people. What does it have to do with the people?
Not only is the young prince keenly aware of this long-ignored political force, but he also uses it so... ingeniously.

This aura of having the whole world at my disposal is truly extraordinary...

"Fang Xiang!"

A rude and rough voice suddenly sounded beside him, interrupting Fang Xuanling's thoughts.

"Prime Minister Fang, why did you arrest General Hou?"

In the imperial court, where one has to think for a long time before saying anything, there are very few reckless people who can get straight to the point.

Fang Xuanling looked up.

He was a mighty and majestic military commander in a red robe and a crested crown, with a pair of big copper bell eyes that reflected a clear stupidity.

Next to the general was a man dressed as a Confucian scholar, wearing a feather fan and a green scarf.

It’s just that the facial features of this “scholar” are too rough, with a strong sense of foreign ethnicity.

"General Xue Wanche, I don't know what you are talking about." Fang Xuanling said to the red-robed general:

"I am just doing my job and abiding by the law. I have no intention of making things difficult for anyone."

"Well...that...humph!" Xue Wanche was only good at fighting, not at verbal battles. He was completely confused after being beaten by the Tai Chi master.

The white-clothed "scholar" beside him said:

"The Master said: To govern with virtue is like the North Star. Lord Xuanling imitated the tyrannical Qin, was mean and unkind, and was afraid that he would lose the way of heaven."

He spoke classical Chinese well, but his Chinese accent had a subtle... prairie flavor.

To Fang Xuanling, this kind of half-baked person posed no threat at all.

He slowly stood up and answered while rubbing his back:
"Chief Qibi Heli, I have heard that true virtue is to correct the mistakes of others and help them avoid great disasters.

“If you allow others to do immoral things and bring about their own destruction like Gong Shuduan of Zheng State in the Spring and Autumn Period, I am afraid that this is not virtue but evil.”

"That... humph!" The Turkic Qibi Heli also snorted indignantly, as if he was not very satisfied with the word "leader".

Xue Wanche and Qibi Heli came to plead for mercy, as they knew that Fang Xuanling was the mastermind behind Hou Junji's arrest.

Xue Wanche was the deputy general during the expedition against Gaochang, while Qibi Heli was the leader of the Qibi tribe, a Turkic tribe that surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and served as the vanguard guide of the Western Expedition.

Because of this relationship, the two of them and Hou Junji are all on the same boat.

Hou Junji swallowed the spoils, and the other two did the same.

Not only that, all the Tang army officers and soldiers who saw it could get a share - otherwise, Gaochang artifacts would not have been so popular that Fang Xuanling could have sniffed out the trend in the West Market.

Military looting is really a systemic problem.

Because in the early and middle period of Zhenguan, the main force of the Tang army was still the government soldiers based on the equal-field system.

The imperial court distributed land to the soldiers, who farmed in their spare time and did not have to pay rent or labor service. During wartime, soldiers provided their own food and weapons and were generally not paid separately.

And the tiger and wolf army that marches thousands of miles away needs to eat meat.

Should we tell them that your military salaries had already been paid when the land was equally distributed?
Therefore, generals would generally allow soldiers to loot and replenish their "military pay" on the spot.

Not only Hou Junji, but also Li Jing, Cheng Zhijie (also known as Cheng Yaojin)... many famous generals did this.

We are all unclean, why do you, Fang Xuanling, only have a special liking for us brothers?

"If you two still want to discuss legal and moral issues, Fang is always here to accompany you." Fang Xuanling expressed an open attitude that welcomed the exchange of insults.

The two knew they couldn't win against him, so they clasped their fists and left in disappointment.

Looking at the two burly figures, Fang Xuanling leisurely brushed his clothes.

“Buy one, get two.”

…………

"General Hou, have you ever seen the scene of distributing porridge? There are so many people, the line can stretch all the way from the West Market to Chengtian Gate...

"Whenever I think of the fact that there are so many people in the Tang Dynasty who are hungry and cold, I lose the appetite for meat...

"General Hou, looking at their poor and numb faces, have you ever thought about yourself before you became rich and poor?"

The exclusive courtyard of Dali Temple.

Li Ming was chewing on some dried fruit snacks as usual, while chatting with Hou Junji with saliva flying all over his body.

He is very experienced in heart-to-heart talks with the grassroots, and it can be summed up in one word: polish.

These days, he would go to the Dali Temple whenever he had time, and the production and distribution of leaflets were outsourced to Wei Daijia and Lai Junchen.

Hou Junji gradually got used to the presence of this chirping little sparrow.

He read the book as usual, looking lifeless, listening with one ear and letting it out with the other, occasionally complaining:

"I am from the Shanggu Hou family."

What? So your Hou family wasn't poor when young, but actually came from a noble family? Damn, a bunch of reactionary landlords and tyrants...

The fourteenth son of the country's largest landowner was indignant. He slapped Hou Baolin, who was dozing off, and continued his speech from a different angle:

“So, I’m afraid that the lower-class people will not be able to survive and will rebel, and I’m afraid that even meat won’t taste good anymore.

"General Hou, do you know what Chen Sheng and Wu Guang said? Are kings, generals, and prime ministers born to be in high positions?
"Do you know? A great man once said that the people, and only the people, create history..."

Hou Junji's head was about to explode, and he interrupted impatiently:
"Your Highness, I have completely understood what you mean.

"You just think I'm too greedy, don't you? Well, from now on, I will live a simple and peaceful life."

Li Ming was so moved that he almost cried:
"Is this true?"

"Seriously, why would I lie to you?" Hou Junji gave a malicious smile:
"I will definitely put aside all my ambitions, withdraw from all disputes in the court, and focus on assisting His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in ascending the throne."

Of course he knew that the little prince was trying to win him over, and he said this deliberately to annoy him.

Unexpectedly, Li Ming actually showed a happy smile:
"Okay, okay, you are a princeling, and I am also a princeling, we are all comrades!"

A comedian can defeat a reckless man; the ancients were not lying to me.

Hou Junji's mouth twitched and he turned his head away and ignored him.

Li Ming changed his seat, and like a dog-skin plaster, he was face to face with Hou Junji again:
"I know. General Hou is just talking. He actually has no intention of settling down."

"Oh?" Hou Junji continued to read intently, too lazy to speak, just raised one eyebrow.

Li Ming pointed at the scroll in Hou Junji's hand:

"You are looking at the map of the Tang Dynasty—

"Now that the country is stable, why are you studying the topography and geography of the Central Plains?"

Hou Junji's face froze.

(End of this chapter)